PRIME MINISTER

Ministerial Code of Conduct

Alan Beith: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will set out the circumstances in which he considers it acceptable for major policy changes not to be first announced in the House in accordance with the Ministerial Code of Conduct;
	(2)  on how many occasions since 8 January the No. 10 Press Office has, in accordance with paragraph 88 of the Ministerial Code of Conduct, authorised initial announcements of (a) Government White Papers and (b) other major policy changes outside the House; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: Individual Ministers are responsible for determining the timing and form of individual announcements taking account of the requirements of the Ministerial Code.

Ministerial Code of Conduct

Simon Burns: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  which Minister is responsible for the enforcement of the Ministerial Code of 2001;
	(2)  to whom complaints about breaches of the Ministerial Code should be made;

Christopher Chope: To ask the Prime Minister how many breaches of the Ministerial Code there have been since July 2001.

Tony Blair: Section 1 of the Ministerial Code makes it clear that Ministers are personally responsible for deciding how to act and conduct themselves in the light of the Code and for justifying their actions and conduct in Parliament. It also sets out Ministers' responsibilities in relation to alleged breaches of the Ministerial Code.

Ministerial Code of Conduct

Christopher Chope: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 12 March 2002, ref 42839, for what reason Ministers' responsibilities in relation to the public do not specify giving accurate and truthful information outside Parliament.

Tony Blair: Ministers are personally responsible for deciding how to act and conduct themselves in the light of the Ministerial Code and for justifying their actions and conduct in Parliament.

Ian Stillman

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Prime Minister if he raised the case of Ian Stillman with (a) President Narayanan and (b) Prime Minister Vajpayee on his trip to India in January.

Tony Blair: The case was not raised during my discussions with President Narayanan and Prime Minister Vajpayee, which focused on other issues.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised the case on 27 February 2002 with the Indian Home Minister, L. K. Advani, and my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office raised it on 18 February 2002 with the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Omar Abdullah.
	Our high commissioner in New Delhi raised Mr. Stillman's case with the Indian Home Secretary, Kamal Pande, on 20 December 2001. He also discussed it with Mr. Advani on 2 January 2002.
	Our high commission is doing all it can to ensure that the Indian authorities are meeting Mr. Stillman's welfare requirements adequately and that his forthcoming appeal to the Supreme Court is heard as quickly as possible.

Senior Salaries Review Body

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make an announcement about the Chair of the Senior Salaries Review Body.

Tony Blair: I have appointed John Baker CBE to be Chair of the Senior Salaries Review Body from February 2002 for a period of three years.

WALES

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, columns 706–07W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against his Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by his Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: Unfortunately no culprit was identified for either theft, so it was not possible to launch criminal proceedings.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Relocation Expenses

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General what her policy is on the payment of relocation expenses to staff in her Department.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 11 March 2002
	My own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, is a small Department situated in central London and its staff are seconded to it from a number of parent Departments. The issue of relocating LSLO staff does not, therefore, arise.
	In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:
	Crown Prosecution Service
	The Crown Prosecution Service provides financial assistance to staff who are permanently transferred to a new location in the interests of the Department and, as a consequence, need to move home. The general principle employed in this situation is that staff will be reimbursed for all reasonable expenses actually and necessarily incurred as a result of the relocation. Details of the financial assistance available to CPS staff are contained in the Department's Travel and Subsistence Code.
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	All the Treasury Solicitor's Department staff are located in London apart from a small group of eight staff who are co-located with their clients, the Ministry of Defence in Bristol. This small section was relocated from London to Bristol in 1998 and they were given the same relocation terms as applied to MOD staff.
	The Treasury Solicitor's Department policy is that, where moves are voluntary, relocation expenses are not paid. As nearly all Treasury Solicitor's Department staff are based in London, the Department does not have a specific relocation policy. The circumstances where the Department might pay relocation expenses would be where staff who were co-located with their clients were being compulsorily moved. In such cases the Treasury Solicitor's Department would ensure that its staff received the same benefits as the clients.
	Serious Fraud Office
	Almost all of the Serious Fraud Office's permanent staff are based in central London. The very few that are not based in London are regionally based investigators working either from home or in local police stations.
	Therefore, the Serious Fraud Office does not offer relocation expenses to its existing staff.
	Nor does the Serious Fraud Office offer relocation expenses to persons transferring to the Serious Fraud Office from other Government Departments, or to newly recruited staff who need to relocate in order to take up a post with the Serious Fraud Office.

Staff Numbers

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General how many staff have been employed by her Department in each of the last 10 years.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 14 March 2002
	The total numbers of staff employed by my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, over the last 10 years are included in the Treasury Solicitor's Department figures. Records are not available for the years 1992 to 1994.
	In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:
	Crown Prosecution Service
	The Crown Prosecution Service has employed the following number of staff in each of the last 10 years:
	5,920.5 in 1992
	6,327.5 in 1993
	6,386.5 in 1994
	6,409 in 1995
	6,202.5 in 1996
	5,677 in 1997
	5,461.5 in 1998
	5,666.9 in 1999
	5,562 in 2000
	5,593.9 in 2001.
	These figures include all lawyers and administrative staff. Casual staff numbers are not included.
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	The Treasury Solicitor's Department has employed the following number of staff in each of the last 10 years:
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	484.5 in 1992
	363.5 in 1993
	404 in 1994
	387.8 in 1995
	382.4 in 1996
	378.2 in 1997
	376.3 in 1998
	394.6 in 1999
	440 in 2000
	476.2 in 2001
	Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers
	24 in 1995
	26 in 1996
	23 in 1997
	30 in 1998
	28 in 1999
	30 in 2000
	30.8 in 2001
	Government Property Lawyers
	125.5 in 1993
	138 in 1994
	135.6 in 1995
	119.1 in 1996
	118.1 in 1997
	101.3 in 1998
	82.2 in 1999.
	Serious Fraud Office
	The Serious Fraud Office was established in 1988. The numbers of staff employed by the Department since April 1988 are as follows:
	63 in 1988–89
	103 in 1990–91
	117 in 1991–92
	136 in 1992–93
	138 in 1993–94
	137 in 1994–95
	162 in 1995–96
	166 in 1996–97
	154 in 1997–98
	149 in 1998–99
	170 in 1999–2000
	178 in 2000–01.
	The figures have been obtained from Serious Fraud Office annual reports. The report for 1989–90 does not quote staff numbers. There are no other historical records containing staff numbers.

Departmental Website

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General what the total cost of her Department's website was in real terms in each of the last four years; and how many hits it received in each of those years.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 25 February 2002
	My own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, has had a Department website since February 2000. The costs incurred in connection with the Department website since its introductions are as follows:
	December 1999 to September 2000
	£1,000—Web hosting foundation
	February 2000
	£255—Housing costs
	£1,500—Design and build costs
	October 2000 to September 2001
	£1,000—Web maintenance
	February 2001
	£75—Hosting costs
	October 2001 to March 2002
	£600—Web maintenance
	February 2002 to February 2004
	£80—Domain name fee
	March 2002
	£7.50—Domain name hosting fee.
	The website has received approximately 20,414 homepage hits since February 2000.
	Details of the other Departments for which the Attorney General is responsible are as follows:
	Crown Prosecution Service
	The costs which have been incurred by the Crown Prosecution since 1998, in connection with its website are as follows:
	£625 in 1998–99
	£2,394 in 1999–2000
	£2,063 in 2000–01, and
	£5,721 from April to December 2001.
	These figures represent development costs as well as annual maintenance charges. The number of hits the website received in each of the last four years 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 were 17,139, 31,152, 37,904 and 36,823 respectively.
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has hosted the Treasury Solicitor's Department website since February 1997 at a maintenance cost of approximately £500 per annum. In October 2001 the maintenance level was upgraded at an additional cost of £1,413.67 to the end of 2001. The website was upgraded in 2001 at a cost of £15,552. The annual costs since 1997 have been as follows:
	£549.06 in 1997
	£534.13 in 1998
	£521.54 in 1999
	£512.50 in 2000, and
	£17,465.97 in 2001.
	No records were kept of the number of hits on the website until April 2001. Since 30 April 2001 there have been 43,820 hits.
	Serious Fraud Office
	Prior to 1999 Serious Fraud Office website costs were subsumed into other CCTA costs and so cannot be identified without disproportionate cost. The Serious Fraud Office website which was in use between 1998 and 2001 was designed at no cost.
	The annual costs incurred by the Serious Fraud Office since 1999 are as follows:
	£750 in 1999–2000
	£585 in 2000–01, and
	£32,825 in 2001–02.
	The costs indicated relate to charges for amendments to the website rather than design or hosting. The new SFO website activated in August 2001 is considerably more sophisticated and up-datable than the previous website and this is reflected in the increased costs.
	Information on hits has been provided by the website administrative staff from the Open Government website, where Serious Fraud Office website hit details were previously displayed. More recent information on the new Serious Fraud Office website has been provided by IDnet, the current website host.
	A 'hit' has been interpreted to mean a request for information in the commonly accepted sense. The details of hits provided do not therefore equate with the number of individuals looking at the website.
	The annual number of hits received by the Serious Fraud Office website since 1998 are as follows:
	4,628 in 1998
	15,886 in 1999
	58,131 in 2000, and
	172,771 in 2001.

Accommodation Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General what the cost was of hotel accommodation for departmental staff working away from home in each of the last four years.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 11 March 2002
	In my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, costs incurred in relation to travel and accommodation form part of the Treasury Solicitor's Department's records. The Treasury Solicitor's Department could not provide information in the form requested without incurring disproportionate cost. The total amount spent on travel and accommodation in each of the last four years was as follows:
	£56,000 in 1998–99
	£58,000 in 1999–2000
	£83,000 in 2000–01
	£51,000 in 2001–02.
	In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:
	Crown Prosecution Service
	The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to hotel costs do not permit the identification of hotel accommodation costs from the overnight subsistence rates paid to CPS staff.
	The total cost of hotel accommodation and overnight subsistence payments for Crown Prosecution Service staff working away from home in each of the last four years was as follows:
	£306,740.37 in 1997–98
	£436,269.76 in 1998–99
	£690,934.96 in 1999–2000
	£915,051.34 in 2000–01.
	Night Subsistence Allowance (NSA) is available to members of staff to cover the costs of overnight absences on official business. The Crown Prosecution Service reimburses the cost of bed and breakfast accommodation, within certain limits, and provides a flat rate personal allowance to cover the cost of meals and incidental travel. An additional allowance is payable to cover telephone calls, newspapers and soft drinks etc. The current accommodation cost limits and personal allowances are:
	London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and York—up to £95 per 24 hours bed and breakfast accommodation.
	Elsewhere—up to £65 per 24 hours bed and breakfast accommodation.
	24 hour meal and incidental travel allowance—£20.
	24 hour personal and incidental expenditure allowance—£5.
	The CPS also employs a hotel-booking agency through which staff are obliged to make arrangements for overnight accommodation. This provides the Department with discounted hotel rates and management control over accommodation expenditure.
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	The Treasury Solicitor's Department could not provide information in the form requested without incurring disproportionate cost. The total amount spent on travel and accommodation by the Treasury Solicitor's Department and its agencies in each of the last four years was as follows:
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	£327,000 in 1998–99
	£202,000 in 1999–2000
	£396,000 in 2000–01
	£318,000 in 2001–02
	Government Property Lawyers
	£10,000 in 1998–99
	£37,000 in 1999–2000
	£1,000 in 2000–01
	£0 in 2001–02
	Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate
	£0 in 1998–99
	£0 in 1999–2000
	£0 in 2000–01
	£130,000 in 2001–02.
	The above figures do not distinguish between travel and accommodation, nor between costs incurred in the course of official business and on events such as training courses.
	Serious Fraud Office
	Serious Fraud Office incurred the following subsistence costs in each of the last four years.
	£129,707 in 1997–98
	£92,628 in 1998–99
	£97,564 in 1999–2000
	£158,879 in 2000–01.
	SFO staff incur expenditure on hotel and similar accommodation when on official duty, both within the UK and overseas. Costs are incurred in relation to both operational activity and administrative activity (training etc.). Costs incurred and recorded are either based on subsistence rates, actual cost or a mixture of the two but often include the additional cost of food (ie bed and breakfast).
	Therefore the above subsistence costs include the cost of hotel accommodation. To derive the actual costs of hotel accommodation in each of the last four years would involve disproportionate cost.

Job Sharing

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 11 March 2002
	In my Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, there are currently no members of staff who job share.
	In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:
	Crown Prosecution Service
	There are currently 14 members of staff who are job-sharing in the Department: 10 administrators/ caseworkers and four lawyers.
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	The Treasury Solicitor's Department strongly encourages job sharing. In the last year there have been four job share partnerships, two of which recently came to an end. Currently there is one legal and one administrative job share partnership in the Department.
	Regular meetings are held to encourage those people who wish to work part time, to raise issues common to part timers and to promote the job sharing policy.
	On recruitment, the Department will offer a person the opportunity of working part time or job sharing. The normal presumption is that any post can be job shared.
	Serious Fraud Office
	The Serious Fraud Office offers permanent staff the option to job share; however, at present none of the Department's staff has opted to do so.
	In December 2001 the Serious Fraud Office introduced a range of flexible working arrangements for staff, including the option to job share. The purpose in doing so was (i) to offer staff more family friendly options and thus improve morale and motivation (ii) to improve the recruitment and retention position and (iii) to promote Government policies.

Gender Pay Gap

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment she has made of the extent of the gender pay gap among staff in her Department.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 11 March 2002
	My own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, which has less than 35 permanent staff, is generally staffed by officials on secondment for a period of two to three years from their parent Departments. Their pay is determined by the particular arrangements of their parent Departments and as such is not susceptible for review by LSLO. Disparity of pay within LSLO is a reflection of the differing pay scales of parent Departments and so no useful assessment of gender pay gap could be made.
	In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:
	Crown Prosecution Service
	In accordance with Government policy, the Crown Prosecution Service is committed to an audit of its pay systems and structure and the preparation of an action plan to address any equal pay issues, by April 2003. The Crown Prosecution Service is currently engaged in the trial of a new Equal Pay Audit Model to be published by the Equal Opportunities Commission in due course. This trial will produce data on the extent of any gender pay gap in the Crown Prosecution Service by the end of May 2002.
	Following the Equal Pay Review, the aims of the Crown Prosecution Service are to:
	Jointly consider whether any reasons the Department may identify for differences in average basic pay or total earnings for men and women doing equal work provide an objective justification for that difference;
	Introduce an equal pay policy for the Crown Prosecution Service;
	Change the processes, rules and practices that may give rise to unequal pay;
	Give equal pay to current and future employees;
	Set up a system of monitoring and clear accountability to ensure the pay system is free of sex bias. Treasury Solicitor's Department
	In line with the Government policy enunciated last year by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the Treasury Solicitor's Department is reviewing its pay systems to establish whether any equal pay gaps exist and, if there are gaps, to prepare an action plan to close them.
	Serious Fraud Office
	In response to the Government's programme to improve reward management systems, in August 2001 the Serious Fraud Office conducted a comprehensive review of its pay and grading systems. This resulted in the introduction of a new pay structure for all permanent staff below the Senior Civil Service, with effect from 1 August 2001. Staff were assimilated into the new structure by reference to their seniority and performance. The new structure guarantees satisfactory performers progression to 80 per cent. of their pay band within five years, and to the top of their pay band within a further seven years.
	The Serious Fraus Office has not yet conducted an Equal Pay Audit, not least because central "How to" guidance was only issued by Cabinet Office in mid February 2002.

Rail Travel (Staff)

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General what was the (a) percentage and number of rail journeys undertaken on first class tickets, (b) average cost of a first class journey by rail and (c) total cost of rail travel in each of the past four years broken down by grade of civil servant.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 25 February 2002
	In my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, details of the cost of rail travel incurred by the Department in each of the last four years is included in the Treasury Solicitor's Department's records. Separate details could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:
	1997–98
	Total Cost: £483,000
	First Class: £168,000
	Percentage: 34.8.
	1998–99
	Total Cost: £583,000
	First Class: £247,000
	Percentage: 42.4.
	1999–2000
	Total Cost: £770,000
	First Class: £387,000
	Percentage: 50.3.
	2000–01
	Total Cost: £742,000
	First Class: £318,000
	Percentage: 42.9.
	The Crown Prosecution Service does not retain records of the number of rail journeys and cannot provide the average cost of a first class journey. Nor can the total cost be broken down by civil service grade.
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	The contract management and financial analysis systems currently in place in the Treasury Solicitor's Department mean that the information requested could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
	The relevant systems are being upgraded as part of the improvement in financial management on which the Treasury Solicitor's Department embarked some months ago. Most of the improvements should be concluded during the course of the financial year 2002–03.
	Serious Fraud Office
	The details requested could not be provided without the Serious Fraud Office incurring disproportionate cost.

Equipment Leasing

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list the equipment leasing arrangements entered into by her Department in each of the last four years; and what the cost to public funds in each case is.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 4 March 2002
	The costs of the equipment leasing arrangements entered into by my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, in the last four years are included in the Treasury Solicitor's Department figures.
	In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:
	Crown Prosecution Service
	The Crown Prosecution Service has equipment leasing arrangements for reprographic equipment. The expenditure for each of the last four financial years has been as follows:
	£1,132,260 in 1998–99
	£1,306,327 in 1999–2000
	£1,378,663 in 2000–01
	£1,001,299 in 2001–02 (to date).
	The Crown Prosecution Service has had contracts with various reprographics suppliers during the period in question. These contracts provide a range of services including the rental of machinery, managed print room services and the provision of maintenance.
	The expenditure quoted for reprographics includes all elements of the services including copy costs. It has not been possible to determine the costs of the equipment rentals themselves from the centrally held data.
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	The Treasury Solicitor's Department and the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers have entered into equipment leasing arrangements for photocopying facilities. The costs in each of the last four years were as follows:
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	£76,728 in 1998–99
	£45,884 in 1999–2000
	£101,612 in 2000–01
	£71,879 in 2001–02 (to date)
	Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers
	£7,804 in 1998–99
	£6,875 in 1999–2000
	£6,151 in 2000–01
	£1,972 in 2001–02 (to date).
	Serious Fraud Office
	The cost of the equipment "leasing arrangements" entered into by the Serious Fraud Office in the last four years is as follows:
	Photocopiers
	£146,895.33 in 1997–98
	£98,184.79 in 1998–99
	£118,237.36 in 1999–2000
	£53,070.75 in 2000–01
	Office Equipment
	£0 in 1997–98
	£0 in 1998–99
	£69.33 in 1999–2000
	£423.01 in 2000–01
	Fax Machines
	£0 in 1997–98
	£636.72 in 1998–99
	£699.58 in 1999–2000
	£0 in 2000–01.
	Much of the equipment is held on short-term hire arrangements rather than on leasing arrangements.

TREASURY

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, column 704W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against his Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by his Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: Our policy is to involve the police in all cases that involve theft. In the cases of those items recorded as stolen as set out in my answer of 22 January, there was insufficient evidence to support criminal proceedings.

Sponsorship

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 116W, on conference sponsorship, if he will place in the Library the document that sets out the benefits of sponsorship for the sponsor referred to in the July 1998 Cabinet Office guidelines on sponsorship; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: I assume the hon. Gentleman is referring to the "Mintel Report 1998" which is referred to in the first paragraph of the July 2000 Cabinet Office Guidance on Sponsorship of Government Activities. This is a commercial publication entitled "Sponsorship 1998" and available from Mintel International Group Ltd. (Tel. 020 7606 6000). Mintel issued a further report in 2000 entitled "Sponsorship 2000".

Comprehensive Spending Review

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales to discuss the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.

Andrew Smith: The Secretary of State for Wales represents Welsh interests within the Government. Treasury Ministers meet on occasion with Ministers of the National Assembly for Wales.

Comprehensive Spending Review

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the National Assembly for Wales regarding the Comprehensive Spending Review within the last 12 months.

Andrew Smith: Treasury Ministers receive representations from the National Assembly for Wales on a range of issues.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the Public Service Agreement targets which have been revised and those which have been introduced since the publication of the 2001 departmental report.

Ruth Kelly: Public Service Agreement targets are an integral part of the spending review process. No changes have been made to the targets since the 2000 Spending Review.

International Monetary Fund

Martyn Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to the Assessment of the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund following the conclusion of its 2001 Article IV consultation with the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: We welcome the IMF's 2001 Article IV report and the Assessment of the Executive Board, which commended the Government for the "impressive" performance of the UK economy, saying this "owes much to sound macro-economic policies, the unwavering observance of a strong policy framework, and sustained structural reforms".
	Our response to the report is set out in the UK's statement to the IMF Executive Board, published on 7 March 2002.

Pension Schemes

Tim Boswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he collates on the relative value of public and private pension schemes in determining equivalence of remuneration.

Andrew Smith: The Treasury does not keep data centrally on equivalence of remuneration and does not collate information on pensions for that purpose.

Travel-to-work Areas

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of residents of each travel-to- work area work outside that area.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Turner dated 18 March 2002
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about travel-to-work-areas. (43244)
	The Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides estimates of employment rates according to the travel-to-work-areas (TTWA) in which people are resident. Although information about people's workplace is also available from the LFS, this could only be analysed by TTWA at disproportionate cost.

Private Finance Initiative

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when he intends to reply to the National Audit Office report entitled "Joining Up to Improve Public Services";
	(2)  when he intends to reply to the National Audit Office report entitled "Managing the Relationship to Secure a Successful Partnership in PFI Projects";
	(3)  when he intends to reply to the National Audit Office report entitled "Modern Policy-Making: Ensuring Policies Deliver Value for Money";
	(4)  when he intends to reply to the National Audit Office report entitled "Giving Confidently: The role of the Charity Commission in Regulating Charities";
	(5)  when he intends to reply to the National Audit Office report entitled 'Innovation in PFI Financing: The Treasury Building Project'.

Andrew Smith: The Public Accounts Committee held hearings on each of these reports on the following dates:
	"Managing the Relationship to Secure a Successful Partnership in PFI Projects"—12 December 2001.
	"Joining up to improve public services"—17 December 2001.
	"Modern Policy-Making: Ensuring Policies Deliver Value for Money"—21 January 2002.
	"Giving Confidently: The role of the Charity Commission in Regulating Charities"—28 November 2001.
	"Innovation in PFI Financing: The Treasury Building Project"—21 November 2001.
	The Government will of course reply at the earliest opportunity to the Committee's reports on these topics when they are published.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Rwanda

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what work her Department is funding to aid the refugees clustered around Lake Kivu in Rwanda after January's volcanic eruption in Congo.

Clare Short: DFID made contributions totalling £2 million to relief agencies active in addressing the needs of people affected by the eruption of Mount Nyaragongo shortly after the eruption. These agencies have been active both in DRC and in Rwanda. In Rwanda the Red Cross have been particularly active, assisted in part by a grant from DFID.

Rwanda

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the impact on the stability of north-west Rwanda of the population moves following the volcanic eruption in the Congo in January.

Clare Short: We understand that relatively few of those affected by the eruption of Mount Nyaragongo are in north-west Rwanda. Although many sought sanctuary there immediately after the eruption, most returned to DRC soon afterwards. The Red Cross reported on 7 March that just over 5,000 people have remained in Rwanda. There is no evidence that the presence of these refugees is causing instability in the region.

Special Advisers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the number and expected cost to her Department of special advisers in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03.

Clare Short: The number of special advisers is two and the expected salary costs are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2001–02 83,923 
			 2002–03 101,000

Corruption

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of possible levels of corruption in relation to agreements under the CFP in (a) Angola, (b) Cape Verde, (c) the Comoros Islands, (d) the Cote d'Ivoire, (e) Gabon, (f) Guinea Bissau, (g) The Republic of Guinea, (h) Equatorial Guinea, (i) Madagascar, (j) Mauritius, (k) Mauritania, (1) Sao Tome and Principie, (m) Senegal and (n) the Seychelles; and what measures the Government have in place to monitor corruption in those countries.

Clare Short: UK responsibility for EU Common Fisheries Policy is taken by DEFRA. My Department has not assessed corruption in relation to Common Fisheries Policy agreements with the countries mentioned. However, the Government is seeking, along with our European partners, greater coherence in the implementation of EC's development and other external policies. We welcomed the endorsement of the EC's "Poverty and Fisheries" strategy at the Development Council in November 2001. The strategy calls for future fisheries agreements to be subject to "observance of the principles of good governance, with financial compensation having to be paid and used in accordance with sound budgetary management practice".

St. Helena

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance she is giving to the Government of St. Helena to diversify its economy; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: A Country Policy Plan, for the three year period 2000–01 to 2002–03, was agreed between HMG and the St. Helena Government (SHG) in January 2000. SHG committed itself to a significant change programme, designed to make St. Helena more self sufficient, by promoting the private sector and raising the efficiency of the public sector. In return, we agreed to provide £29 million in development assistance over the period 2000–01 to 2002–03. This represented an increase of £3 million over the previous three year agreement, and a modest increase in real terms. We hope to discuss a new three year programme towards the end of this year.

Afghanistan

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the humanitarian problems in Afghanistan are; and how her Department is helping to tackle them.

Clare Short: Despite three years of drought and 23 years of conflict, and the recent insecurity and population displacement, widespread famine in Afghanistan has been averted by the early and effective actions of the humanitarian community. Over 6.6 million people have been provided with food aid over the past six months, as well as other essential relief supplies such as tents, clothing and cooking equipment.
	However, with the prospect of a fourth year of drought this year, and continued limited access to some areas of Afghanistan, the humanitarian situation remains fragile and significant needs will remain for a least the coming year in challenging and volatile operating conditions. The Immediate and Transition Assistance Programme for the Afghan People, prepared by the UN and agreed with the Afghan Interim Administration (AIA), sets out the current humanitarian situation and the challenges ahead, up to the end of December 2002. The programme estimates that approximately 9 million Afghans, including over 1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), are in need of assistance in Afghanistan in 2002.
	My Department has committed over £60 million since September 2001 to support both the AIA and the United Nations-led humanitarian and recovery effort. This assistance is being channelled through United Nations agencies, the Red Cross movement and non-governmental organisations for projects covering a wide range of sectors. In addition, at the Tokyo Conference on the Reconstruction of Afghanistan, we pledged £200 million over the next five years for both reconstruction and humanitarian assistance. The World bank is in the process of establishing the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) as a way of streamlining donor assistance to Afghanistan from July 2002 onwards. We intend to contribute to the ARTF on its establishment, as well as continuing to channel funds directly through humanitarian and development agencies working in Afghanistan.

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, column 698W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against her Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by her Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: It is our practice to report thefts to the police. In the absence of any evidence as to who was responsible no criminal proceedings have been taken, nor have we recovered any of the items.

Departmental Contracts

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the 30 largest contracts awarded by her Department from (a) May 1997 to April 1998, (b) May 1998 to April 1999, (c) May 1999 to April 2000, (d) May 2000 to April 2001 and (e) May 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available, stating in each case the values of the contracts and the companies with which the contracts were placed.

Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for International Development gave on 28 February 2002, Official Report, column 1464W.

Departmental Functions

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the functions of her Department that have been (a) market tested and (b) outsourced in each of the last five years, specifying the (i) money saving and (ii) percentage saving in each case.

Clare Short: DFID has not market tested or outsourced any functions in the last five years.

Food Security

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many responses have been received to the consultation document, "Eliminating Hunger: DFID food security strategy and priorities for action".

Clare Short: We have received 27 written responses on the consultation document. In addition, verbal feedback has been received from a number of other organisations, which intend to provide a written response in due course.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the public service agreement targets which have been revised and those which have been introduced since the publication of the 2001 departmental report.

Clare Short: No public service agreement (PSA) targets have been revised or newly introduced since the publication of DFID's 2001 departmental report. We will report on progress against targets under the 1999–2002 and the 2001–04 PSAs in our 2002 departmental report, which will be published next month.

Cuba

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid the UK Government have provided to Cuba in each of the last five years and for what projects.

Clare Short: Total bilateral aid to Cuba for the years 1996–97 to 2000–01 is detailed in Table 7.2 (on page 89) of DFID's report, "Statistics on International Development" (2001 edition), which is available in the Library of the House. A list of projects will be placed in the Library of the House.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

London Underground

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the level of Government guarantees being provided to Metronet and Tube Lines for debt raised to fund investment in the underground.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) on Monday 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 786W. No Government guarantee is being issued to Metronet and Tube Lines in respect of the debt they are raising to fund investment.

London Underground

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  for what percentage of the debt on the moneys borrowed under the PPP for the London Underground he is prepared to offer a letter of comfort;
	(2)  if he will ask Ernst and Young to consider what effects a letter of comfort guaranteeing 95 per cent. of the debt on the PPP for the London Underground would have on their value for money report;
	(3)  if he will publish the letter of comfort written to the bidder under the PPP for the London Underground.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) on Monday 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 786W. Ernst and Young were aware of the terms of the proposed letter when they produced their value for money report.

Civil Servants

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will set out for each Civil Service grade within his (a) Department and (b) Department's executive agencies the (i) total number of staff employed, (ii) number aged (A) 16 to 25, (B) 26 to 35, (C) 36 to 45, (D) 46 to 60 and (E) over the age of 60 years, (iii) number of registered disabled and (iv) number of ethnic minorities.

Alan Whitehead: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 13 March 2002, Official Report, column 1072W.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 782W, how much Coucher Pender Ltd. is being paid for the services rendered.

David Jamieson: The amount of payment will depend on how long the process continues and whether the CLG bid is successful or not.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many new carriages have been brought into use by train operating companies on the UK network in the last six months; and how many new carriages have been ordered since Railtrack went into administration.

John Spellar: Approximately 270 vehicles have entered service on the national rail network in the last six months and 603 new vehicles have been ordered since Railtrack went into administration on 7 October 2001.

Transport Budgets

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of total local government grant provided by central Government have been allocated to local transport plans and budgets in each of the past six years.

Sally Keeble: The information is not available in the form requested.

Resignations

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what severance package was offered to Mr. Martin Sixsmith as a result of his resignation.

Alan Whitehead: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by Sir Richard Mottram, the permanent secretary of my Department, on 25 February 2002. A copy of this is available in the Libraries of the House.

Press Releases

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many press releases were issued by his Department or its predecessor (a) between 1 May and 31 December 1997 and (b) in each year from 1998 to 2001 inclusive.

Alan Whitehead: The infomation is as follows:
	(a) DETR (central) and the former Department of Transport and Environment:
	1 May to 31 December 1997: 577
	(b) DETR(c)
	1998: 1,121
	1999: 1,248
	2000: 789
	DETR(c)/DTLR
	2001: 562.

Correspondence

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter from the Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for electoral law written to the hon. Member for Lichfield dated 12 February, ref: AW/001457/02.

Alan Whitehead: I have arranged for a copy of this letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

Melton Borough Council

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans his Department has to remit the payment to Melton borough council under the Government's Pathfinder scheme owing since October 2001.

Alan Whitehead: Melton borough council have had up to date funds paid to them against claims made in connection with their work on the local government online pathfinder scheme. Under the conditions laid out in the Special Grant Report to Parliament, release of such funding is subject to satisfactory performance. Additional funding for dissemination activities will be paid to all pathfinder authorities following the completion of their projects, subject to the approval of Parliament.

Railways

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what advice he has received from (a) the Strategic Rail Authority and (b) the Rail Regulator on the ownership of assets by special purpose vehicles in the rail industry.

Stephen Byers: holding answer 15 March 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Mr. Jamieson), to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 4 February 2002, Official Report, columns 728–29W. Ownership of the assets created by special purpose vehicles is one of the matters to be resolved case by case.

Railways

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many meetings he has had with the Rail Regulator since 5 October 2001; and on what dates those meetings took place.

Stephen Byers: holding answer 15 March 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Mr. Jamieson) to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 11 December 2001, Official Report, column 789W.

Railways

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 28 February, ref 32696, on rail passengers, if he will list those TOCs which have been required to develop action plans and indicate the type of action plans which have been undertaken.

David Jamieson: A list of each train operating company, and the type of action plan that they have been required to produce has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Railways

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  if he will state the proportion of stations which have access to (a) customer information screens, (b) public address announcements and (c) help point buttons; and if he will list the stations which (i) have and (ii) do not have access to each;
	(2)  how much has been invested by the railway industry since 25 February 1999 on (a) security staff and (b) installation of video camera surveillance at stations and station car parks; and if he will state (i) how many and (ii) which stations and station car parks have received additional (A) security staff and (B) video surveillance over this time;
	(3)  how much has been invested by the railway industry between 25 February 1999 and April 2000 in passenger information systems in stations.

David Jamieson: In the period from 1 April 1999 until September 2001, private sector capital of £155 million was secured by train operating companies, of which around £54 million was invested in stations. The detailed information is not held centrally.
	The National Rail Summit commitments were made by the industry and the associated data were provided by them.

Railways

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the responsibilities of his (a) Rail Delivery Directorate and (b) Railways Restructuring Directorate; if he will list the projects which are (i) under way and (ii) have been completed, in each directorate since June 2001; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Rail Delivery Directorate works with the Strategic Rail Authority, other railway stakeholders and other parts of government to improve the performance of today's railway and to deliver the key 10-Year Plan targets. The Railways Restructuring Directorate is working to ensure that the successor to Railtrack, and the regulatory system within which it will operate, are fit for purpose.
	Both directorates support DTLR Ministers in a range of duties focused on these objectives.

Railways

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list (a) the number of staff employed in each key area of the railway industry, (b) the total requirement for staff in each key area, (c) staff shortage numbers for each key area, (d) the number of individuals (i) in training and (ii) trained for each key area and (e) the number of individuals (A) retiring and (B) leaving employment in each key area for each year since 1995.

David Jamieson: This information is not held centrally.

Railways

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent research he has commissioned on the linkage between rail fares and demand.

David Jamieson: The linkage between rail fares and demand was modelled for the 10-Year Plan, with the results published in the Background Analysis document. This modelling work will be reviewed and developed as part of the first review of the Plan this year, both in a rail specific context and on a multi-modal basis as part of the National Transport Model.

Railways

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the improvements to the rail network in the West Midlands outlined in the 10 year plan document.

David Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority's (SRA's) Strategic Plan sets out its priorities for the short, medium and long term and includes national schemes which will benefit the West Midlands, for example, the Train Protection & Warning System, Freight Facilities Grants, Incremental Output Statements for track, signalling and stations, and Rail Passenger Partnership and Rail Performance Funds.
	The West Midlands will benefit too, from enhanced services provided under the Cross Country and West Coast franchises and from proposed freight upgrades—such as Felixstowe-Nuneaton. The SRA's Plan also identifies a number of specific projects for the West Midlands including service, performance and infrastructure improvements, as well as additional rolling stock.

Local Government Finance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the local authorities which lodged complaints with his Department about SSA allocations for 2002–03.

Alan Whitehead: The Department consulted local authorities on its proposals for the funding of local government revenue expenditure in 2002–03 on 4 December 2001. As part of that consultation the Government, as usual, received a large number of responses from councils with their view on the proposals and also correcting where necessary the data used in standard spending assessments as we had requested.

Council Housing

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what information he has collated on the average (a) market value based on right to buy sales, (b) adjusted vacant possession values and (c) value for stock transfer purposes of council houses in Walsall (i) under direct council management and (ii) managed by a tenant management organisation.

Sally Keeble: Walsall metropolitan borough council has provided the Department with an average market value based on right to buy sales of £35,100 for both the council houses in Walsall under direct council management and those managed by a tenant management organisation. Walsall is not required to submit information on adjusted vacant possession values of their stock. The valuations for housing transfer purposes have yet to be agreed.

Council Housing

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what powers the Government have to compel councils to build houses under the unitary development plan.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The Government have no powers in relation to unitary development plans to compel councils to build houses. However, unitary development plans are expected to provide sufficient housing land to meet the housing requirements of the whole community. Priority should be given to re-using urban brownfield sites in preference to greenfield land.
	The Secretary of State can direct changes to unitary development plans which conflict with national and regional housing policies without good local justification. He can also call in planning applications where the provision of housing is at issue.

Parental Leave Directive

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the (a) financial costs and (b) benefits to his Department of the Parental Leave Directive.

Alan Whitehead: It is estimated that the financial costs to the Department are minimal. There has been no significant take-up within DTLR since the directive was implemented. The Department is committed to implementing policies that help members of staff achieve a better work/life balance.

Electoral Reform

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what plans the Government have to review the electoral system used for elections to (a) the office of London Mayor, (b) the Greater London Assembly, (c) the Scottish Parliament and (d) the Welsh Assembly; and if he will make a statement on the structure and timing of any review;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to implement the recommendations of the Jenkins Commission on changing the voting system for the House.

Stephen Byers: In our manifesto setting out our intentions for this Parliament, we said we would review the experience of the new electoral systems for the devolved Assemblies, the European Parliament and the Greater London Assembly, together with the report of the Independent Commission on the Voting System chaired by Lord Jenkins, to assess whether changes might be made to the electoral system for the House of Commons. We have no plans for other reviews of voting systems.

Electoral Reform

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans the Government have to review the closed list electoral system for the European Parliament; and if he will make a statement on the structure and timing of the review.

Stephen Byers: A Home Office review of the 1999 European Parliamentary election, published in May 2000, and available on the DTLR website, included a review of the effect of the closed list voting system on turnout.

Staff Suspensions

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many members of staff have been suspended on full pay in each of the last five years; and how many were subsequently reinstated.

Stephen Byers: holding answer 11 March 2002
	There have been a small number of cases over the last five years, in which members of staff have been suspended on full pay, eg if alleged gross misconduct or criminal offences need to be investigated. Papers relating to such cases are kept separately and only added to personal files in the event that the allegations are proven. In the event that the allegations are unfounded and the individual is reinstated, any papers relating to the investigation are destroyed. It is not therefore possible to answer the question in the form requested.

Farming

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what advice his Department provides to local authorities and the Inland Revenue concerning the collection of business rates from farms engaged in (a) share farming, (b) contract farming and (c) machinery rings.

Nick Raynsford: The Valuation Office Agency of the Inland Revenue, and its valuation officers, have a statutory duty to maintain the non-domestic rating lists, under the legislation in the Local Government Finance Act 1988 and relevant case law. It is a decision for the valuation officer in each case whether or not a farm qualifies for the current agricultural exemption from rates, in accordance with his or her statutory responsibilities.
	It is not for my Department to provide formal advice to valuation officers on the exercise of their statutory duties. Nor is there any need for formal guidance to local authorities, whose responsibilities in this case are simply to issue bills in respect of hereditaments that valuation officers have entered in the rating lists. We will, of course, review policy when necessary and this process has led to the proposal in the White Paper, "Strong Local Leadership—Quality Public Services", to amend the legislation to extend the agricultural exemption to share farming, contract farming and machinery rings.

Farming

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will define the meaning of contract farming in paragraph 7.52 of the White Paper, "Strong Local Leadership-Quality Public Services".

Nick Raynsford: The consultation paper on "Extending the Agricultural Exemption from Non-Domestic Rates to Machinery Rings and Share Farming Enterprises", published on 16 February 2001, referred to in paragraph 7.52 of the White Paper, included a detailed explanation of the meaning of contract/share farming.

Farming

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the Government plans to introduce legislation to extend agricultural exemption from business rates to share farming, contract farming and machinery rings as outlined in paragraph 7.52 of the White Paper Strong Local Leadership-Quality Public Services.

Nick Raynsford: We will introduce legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Rural Work Force

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of the rural work force travel to their place of work by (a) foot, (b) bicycle, (c) bus, (d) train and (e) car; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Information is available only in respect of people living in rural areas, not by place of work. From the National Travel Survey, the distribution of mode of travel to work for people living in rural areas in Great Britain over the period 1992–2000 was as follows:
	(a) foot—10 per cent.,
	(b) bicycle—3 per cent.,
	(c) bus—4 per cent.,
	(e) car—79 per cent.
	The sample size is too small to give an accurate figure for transport by train, but it is less than 3 per cent. Rural areas are those with a population of less than 3,000 as defined by the 1991 Census.

Rural Work Force

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of the rural work force lives (a) less than 30 minutes, (b) 30 minutes to one hour, (c) one to two hours, (d) two to three hours and (e) more than three hours away from their place of work.

David Jamieson: Information is available only in respect of people living in rural areas, not by place of work. From the National Travel Survey, the distribution of time spent by travelling to work by people living in rural areas in Great Britain is as follows:
	(a) less than 30 minutes—78 per cent.
	(b) 30 minutes to one hour—29 per cent.
	(c) one to two hours—12 per cent.
	Data have been aggregated over the years 1992–2000 because the number of rural dwellers in the sample each year is small, and it is not possible to give accurate figures for journeys that take more than two hours. The figures are taken from travel diaries so they reflect actual journeys, rather than usual journeys, and may contain double counting as some people will have journeys of different lengths during the survey week. Rural areas are those with a population of less than 3,000 as defined by the 1991 Census.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  if he will undertake an analysis of the effectiveness of the Australian system of liquefied petroleum gas identification to alert emergency services in the result of a fire;
	(2)  what assessment the Government have made of the effectiveness of the voluntary red sticker system for identifying cars running on liquefied petroleum gas; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: We have no knowledge of the voluntary red sticker system and have made no assessment or analysis of the Australian system for alerting their fire services to the use of vehicles fuelled with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Consideration is being given to the marking requirements of vehicles fuelled in this way as part of the LPG construction standards.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many cases of boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion involving vehicles which run on liquefied petroleum gas have been reported in each year since 1999.

David Jamieson: We do not hold any information on such incidents. The Fire Service is discussing safety issues with the vehicle manufacturers

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment the Government have made of the effectiveness of the guidance which is available regarding pressure relief valves in the conversion of UK vehicles to liquefied petroleum gas.

David Jamieson: The Department does not issue guidance regarding the use of pressure relief valves as their performance requirements are clearly stated in the Road vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. The LP Gas Association (LPGA) issues guidance (COP 11) to its members and the general public, part of which refers to ECE Regulation 67:01 which is currently being implemented in the Construction and Use Regulations as an alternative to the existing requirements. We are content that this information is satisfactory.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what markings are required on UK vehicles to show that they run on liquefied petroleum gas.

David Jamieson: There are no markings required by legislation to show that a vehicle is run on liquefied petroleum gas.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what regulations exist covering the fitting of liquefied petroleum gas conversion kits to UK vehicles.

David Jamieson: The fitting of liquefied petroleum gas conversions kits is regulated by regulations 40, 94 and schedule 5 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans the Government have further to regulate (a) the sale and (b) the fitting of liquefied petroleum conversion kits for UK vehicles.

David Jamieson: Consideration is being given to the introduction of regulations to control the standards for the fitting of liquefied petroleum conversion kits for UK vehicles. As yet no decisions have been made as to what form these regulations may take and how they may be implemented.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the Public Service Agreement targets which have been revised and those which have been introduced since the publication of the 2001 departmental report.

Alan Whitehead: There have been no revisions to the Spending Review 2000 Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets published in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions' 2001 annual report. Following the machinery of government changes in June 2001 responsibility for the following six targets transferred to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
	Improve air quality by meeting our National Air Quality Strategy targets for carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, particles, sulphur dioxide, benzene and 1–3 butadiene;
	Improve the environment and the sustainable use of natural resources, including by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent. from 1990 levels and moving towards a 20 per cent. reduction in CO 2 emissions by 2010;
	Enable 17 per cent. of household waste to be recycled or composted by 2004;
	Reduce fuel poverty among vulnerable households by improving the energy efficiency of 600,000 homes between 2001 and 2004;
	Open up public access to mountain, moor, heath and down and registered common land by the end of 2005; and
	Bring into favourable condition by 2010 95 per cent. of all nationally important wildlife sites, compared to 60 per cent. of sites currently estimated to be in such condition.
	Responsibility for the remaining DETR PSA targets remains with my Department. In addition, the following PSA target has been transferred to the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions from the Home Office:
	Reduce the incidence of accidental fire-related deaths in the home by 20 per cent. averaged over the five year period to March 2004 compared with the average recorded in the five year period to March 1999.

Fire Safety

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he last made an assessment of fire safety at Shoreham Harbour.

Alan Whitehead: holding answer 15 March 2002
	Inspections of workplaces in respect of general fire precautions are carried out by local fire authorities. Inspections are made of individual premises and other workplaces and recorded as such. Consequently it is not possible to give a date for inspection of the harbour as a whole. The last inspection of a premises in the harbour area was of a factory subject to a fire certificate under the Fire Precautions Act 1971. This was carried out on 19 February 2002.

Fire Safety

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many fire-related deaths in dwellings in Buckinghamshire there were in each year since 1997.

Alan Whitehead: The information requested is contained in the table and refers to those fires, which the Buckinghamshire fire and rescue service attended between 1997 and 2000.
	
		Fire-related deaths by location, attended by Buckinghamshire fire -- and rescue service, 1997–2000
		
			  Total deaths Dwellings(1) Other buildings Other outdoors 
		
		
			 1997 12 7 2 3 
			 1998 2 2 — — 
			 1999 5 4 1 — 
			 2000(2) 10 7 — 3 
		
	
	(1) Dwellings are defined as buildings occupied by households, excluding hotels, hostels and residential institutions. They also include caravans, houseboats and other non-building structures used solely as a permanent dwelling.
	(2) 2000 data are provisional, and are subject to revision as later information from inquests and death certificates confirming cause of death is received.

Fire Safety

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list fire stations which have (a) opened and (b) closed in Buckinghamshire since 1997.

Alan Whitehead: No fire stations have opened or closed in Buckinghamshire during this period.

Rough Sleepers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of those who were sleeping rough in 1998 and are no longer doing so are now in paid employment.

Sally Keeble: Personal details of rough sleepers in 1998 were in many cases not recorded, making it hard to track their progress away from the street and into housing, training and employment. As part of delivering its strategy the unit has now put in place client monitoring systems to track the progress of individuals in their move from sleeping rough to independent living. These systems are subject to review and further development.
	The Rough Sleepers Unit has worked with Government Departments, other statutory bodies and voluntary agencies to help people with a history of sleeping rough to access statutory benefits, education, training and employment. The unit has funded the Homeless Routeway to Employment, "Learning Zones", a website to help rough sleepers into employment and a "jobs-led hostel" which specifically helps former rough sleepers into work.
	The unit has also invested £2 million of its Special Innovation Fund in schemes to build self esteem and help former rough sleepers into employment, including Business in the Community which has helped businesses provide work placements, training and support to local homeless agencies and their clients.
	Tenancy Sustainment Teams in London and other cities around England also help former rough sleepers and homeless people that have moved from hostels into their own accommodation to resettle permanently and to take up training and employment. Meaningful occupation workers in each Tenancy Sustainment Team identify and maximise specific support and training to help former rough sleepers to prepare for and take up employment opportunities.

Rough Sleepers

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of the number of rough sleepers in (a) St. Helens, (b) Merseyside and (c) the north-west.

Sally Keeble: Tables showing the local authority HIP estimates and results of street counts for 1998, 1999, 2000 and the latest figures for 2001 were placed in the Libraries of the House on 11 December 2001. Local authorities not listed in the tables for those years submitted either an estimate of 0–10 or no estimate in their HIP returns.

Rent Increases

Iain Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the average rent increases for individual local authorities agreed for 2002–03 by (a) one bed, (b) two bed, (c) three bed and (d) four bed properties.

Sally Keeble: It is for each local authority to determine the rents on their properties. Neither the average nor the pattern of rents across different types of dwelling has to be agreed with the Department. No detailed information is yet available on the actual rents set by local authorities for 2002–03.

Rail Freight

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made in the last 12 months towards reaching the rail freight targets under the 10-year transport plan.

David Jamieson: We shall publish a review of progress in July.

Evictions

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to require registered social landlords to submit annual figures on possession proceedings from actions entered in court to evictions.

Sally Keeble: We have no plans to require registered social landlords to submit this information. However, as mentioned in my answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 146, my Department is discussing with the Court Service how to achieve a better breakdown of the data that they collect on possession orders by social landlords. This breakdown will show possession action in relation to rent arrears and anti-social behaviour and will enable us to monitor trends on such actions and improve our understanding of the causes of homelessness. The Court Service is aiming to put in place a revised system in the early part of 2002–03. Figures will then be available on a monthly basis.

Evictions

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to investigate the use of mandatory grounds for eviction by registered social landlords.

Sally Keeble: None. Registered social landlords (RSLs) are independent organisations regulated by the Housing Corporation. They must demonstrate compliance with the Housing Corporation's regulatory code and guidance, which requires them to seek possession of a property only as a last resort.
	The Corporation's new inspection regime focuses on the quality and efficiency of registered social landlords' housing management services. The Corporation's regulators will report on inappropriate or unreasonable use of mandatory possession grounds where this comes to light during an inspection.

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he intends to publish the 1998–99 research for the report on provision of refuge and access to domestic violence services "Households experiencing domestic violence".

Sally Keeble: Our plans are to publish the research report, currently titled "The provision of accommodation and support for households experiencing domestic violence in England" in the summer, at the same time as we publish a "Supporting People" Guide to accommodation and support options for women experiencing domestic violence, and a "Supporting People" Handy Guide to domestic violence. Consequently at present we do not have a firm publication date.

Railway Fencing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many miles of railway track is separated from roads by (a) wire fencing, (b) wooden fencing, (c) brick walls and (d) nothing.

David Jamieson: My Department dose not hold such information.

Road Accident (Monmouth)

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement about the collision involving a Stagecoach 69 bus and a car in Monmouth on 7 March; how many passengers were (a) seated and (b) standing; and how many were (i) adults and (ii) pupils.

David Jamieson: Officials from my Department have made inquiries about this incident which it transpires was of such a minor nature (there were no injuries to passengers or damage done to the bus) that it was not reported to either the police or the vehicle inspectorate. I therefore cannot comment on the number of seated and standing passengers.

Telecommunications Masts

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will take further measures to ensure that telecommunications companies comply with guidelines regarding pre- application discussion and consultation over the siting of telecommunications masts.

Sally Keeble: On 22 August 2001 we significantly strengthened the public consultation requirements on mast proposals of 15 metres and below and for masts on buildings and structures so that they are exactly the same as for applications for planning permission. This was underpinned by revised Planning Policy Guidance Note 8 "Telecommunications" (PPG8) which strongly encourages operators to discuss mast proposals with local planning authorities and to consult local people on them before applications for planning permission or prior approval are submitted.
	The Department is currently drawing up, in partnership with representatives of the mobile phone operators and local government, a revised Code of Best Practice, which will include further advice and best practice on consultation.
	In addition, the five mobile phone operators have made a series of commitments to deliver improved communication and consultation with local authorities and local communities. We expect these commitments to be followed in every case. My hon. and learned Friend, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Regeneration will be meeting the operators shortly to take stock of progress in delivering the commitments.

Roads (Somerset)

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans the Government have for road improvement in Somerset.

David Jamieson: The following Trunk Road schemes in Somerset were remitted to the London to the South West and South Wales Multi Modal (SWARMMS) Study:
	(a) the A303 Sparkford to Ilchester improvement
	(b) the A303 Ilminster By-pass widening to dual-carriageway
	(c) the A303 Ilminster to Marsh improvement.
	The Study findings are due to be reported to the Regional Assembly in early May 2002. It is up to the Regional Assembly to recommend to the Minister which schemes, if any, should be added to the Highways Agency's Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI).
	Other Major Schemes being progressed by Somerset county council as part of their Local Transport Plan strategies but partly funded by central government are:
	The Bridgwater Northern Distributor Road, which is nearing completion.
	The North West Taunton Package—Silk Mills, which has provisional approval
	The Taunton Inner Relief Road, which has received funding for 2002–03 to enable design to be progressed.

Marine Safety

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the findings of Associated British Ports recent individual risk assessment conducted by ERM Risk into its new pilotage scheme on the Humber.

David Jamieson: It is for Associated British Ports to decide whether or not to publish assessments they have commissioned: they are not required to do so either statutorily or under the Port Marine Safety Code.

Marine Safety

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will establish public authorities specific to the individual estuaries for the authorisation of pilots.

David Jamieson: There are already public authorities—competent harbour authorities statutorily designated under the Pilotage Act—which are responsible for the authorisation of pilots in our ports. The Government has no intention of separating responsibility for pilotage from other port marine safety functions, since the Port Marine Safety Code requires them to be managed by means of an integrated safety system.

Areas of Outstanding National Beauty

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps have been taken since 1997 to strengthen the protection of areas of outstanding national beauty.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 14 March 2002
	In June 2000 we amended Planning Policy Guidance for the Countryside to make clear that areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs) and National Parks should be given equivalent protection by the planning system. This means that proposals for major developments in AONBs should be demonstrated to be in the public interest before being allowed to proceed.
	Protection of AONB's will be strengthened under the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000 through the requirement of a management plan for all and the option of a Conservation Board for those where local authorities think one would be suitable.

Broadspring Wood

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  if he will publish correspondence exchanged between the Highways Agency and the Uxbridge and District Rifle Club, since August 2001;
	(2)  what plans his Department has to (a) sell Broadspring Wood and (b) transfer it to a charitable trust for its long term conservation with public access;
	(3)  what price was included in the contract for sale of Broadspring Wood, Denham, Buckinghamshire, to the Uxbridge and District Rifle Club; and how many hectares of land were to be included in the sale;
	(4)  if he will set out the terms of the licence allowing the Uxbridge and District Rifle Club to use Broadspring Wood, Denham, Buckinghamshire, for multiple shot shotguns for the practical shotgun discipline; and if the licence is different to that referred to in his answer of 14 February, Official Report, column 546W.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The substance of the correspondence between the Highways Agency and the Uxbridge and District Rifle Club was set out in my letters of 25 February and 11 March to the hon. Member.
	The terms of the contract for sale of Broadspring Wood are still being finalised. If and when the sale is completed, details of the price and the area of land sold will be in the public domain at the Lands Registry.
	As I noted in my answer of 1 March 2002, Official Report, column 1588W, this whole matter is currently under review by the Highways Agency who will write to the hon. Member when the outcome is known.
	The licence between the Highways Agency and the Uxbridge and District Rifle Club permits the use of multiple shot shotguns especially adapted for the 'practical shotgun discipline'. Clause 2(k) states "not to use or permit to be used any gun other than a shotgun which shall not exceed 12 bore in calibre or a rifle and in particular not to use or permit to be used without the Owners' written consent first obtained any weapon requiring a Firearms Certificate under Section 1 of the Firearms Act provided that this shall not preclude the use of multiple shot shotguns specially adapted for the 'practical shotgun discipline'". This licence is that referred to in my answer of 14 February 2002, Official Report, column 546W.

Asbestos

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 26 February 2002, Official Report, column 1177W, on what pathological basis he states it is not possible to confirm the source of asbestos trading to individual cases of asbestos related disease.

Alan Whitehead: holding answer 15 March 2002
	Individual cases of mesothelioma or of lung cancer caused by asbestos are not pathologically or clinically distinguishable from those due to other causes. The link between asbestos exposure and the occurrence of these diseases is established scientifically by the observation that the "rates" of these diseases are consistently higher in population groups with asbestos exposure than in comparable non-exposed groups. Now this link is established, a judgment can be made for individual cases as to whether their conditions are likely to have been due to asbestos exposure if the extent of the individual case's exposure to asbestos is known or can be estimated. However, such judgments are always a question of a balance of probabilities, and can never be totally certain. Since every member of the population has been exposed to asbestos from multiple sources, the definitive linkage of individual cases to a particular source is not possible.

Asbestos

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 26 February 2002, Official Report, column 1177W, on asbestos, if the cases of mesothelioma and lung cancer have been attributed by (a) estimates and (b) clinical pathology; and what the basis is of that methodology.

Alan Whitehead: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The attribution of mesothelioma and lung cancer cases to asbestos exposure by doctors participating in the Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Disease, known as SWORD, scheme reflects the reporting doctor's best judgment based on their knowledge of the case's exposure history. The attribution is not based on clinical pathology.
	The statement that almost all mesothelioma cases recorded on the mesothelioma register are due to asbestos is an estimate based on the strongly established links between asbestos and mesothelioma, and the fact that the growth in the numbers of mesothelioma deaths over the last 30 years (and the more recent decline in deaths at ages below 50) corresponds to the earlier growth and decline in national asbestos imports.

Asbestos

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 26 February 2002, Official Report, column 1177W, what assessment he has made of the independent reports of Poolety, Davies, Hoskins, Browne, Gibbs Meldrum and Donnigan.

Alan Whitehead: holding answer 15 March 2002
	It is not possible to give a reply to the hon. Member without further details. If he would care to write to me with full information on the specific reports and their authors I will ensure he receives a full reply.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if his Department (a) has collated and (b) will publish statistical information on the average number of daily lorry movements on port-related activity to and from Shoreham harbour in each of the last 36 months.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 15 March 2002
	This information has not been collated.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will give his formal response to the proposed Shoreham Harbour Revision Order.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The proposed Shoreham Harbour Revision Order has not yet been formally submitted to my Department. Officials received a copy of the latest draft of the proposed order on 7 March 2002 and will be responding to the authority within the next two weeks.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent discussions his Department has had regarding the proposed Harbour Revision Order for Shoreham Harbour with (a) Shoreham Port Authority and (b) representatives of (i) Adur council, (ii) Brighton and Hove council and (iii) West Sussex county council.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	Officials received a copy of a draft of the proposed Harbour Revision Order on 7 March 2002, and have not yet discussed this draft with the Shoreham Port Authority. No discussions regarding the proposed order have taken place between the Department and the Adur council, Brighton and Hove council or West Sussex county council.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his Department's policy is on the establishment of additional cross channel ferry services at Shoreham Harbour and other south coast ports.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The establishment of additional cross-channel ferry services is a matter for decision by individual ferry operators and port authorities.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which Ministers have made official visits to Shoreham Harbour since May 1997.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	There has been one official visit to the port of Shoreham by a Minister from my Department since May 1997. On 24 November 2000 Lord Whitty, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of the Department visited the port as part of a tour of West Sussex arranged by the West Sussex county council.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what financial contribution will be made by Shoreham Port Authority towards the road link study between Shoreham Harbour and the A27 proposed by SEEDA;
	(2)  what the funding arrangements are for the road link study between Shoreham Harbour and the A27 proposed by SEEDA;
	(3)  what the remit is of the road link study between Shoreham Harbour and the A27 proposed by SEEDA; who will prepare the study; and when it is due to report.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 15 March 2002
	A draft brief for a multiple mode transport study is currently being prepared by the Shoreham Maritime Steering Group. The remit, funding arrangements and time scales will be considered as part of the brief.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the extent is of his responsibilities for Shoreham Harbour; and on what connected subjects he is responsible to Parliament.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	I have no direct responsibilities in respect of Shoreham Harbour, other than responsibility for making board appointments to the Shoreham Port Authority who are the statutory body responsible for the harbour.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 11 March 2002, Official Report, column 754W, ref. 42321, if he will list all funding made available to the Maritime Vision for Shoreham Harbour through English Partnerships through the former Partnership Investment Programme.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 15 March 2002
	Total expenditure by all partners, including English Partnerships, up to April 2001, was £305,000.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 11 March 2002, Official Report, column 755W, ref 42323, what proportion of land at Shoreham Harbour is considered (a) brownfield land and (b) land used for port-related activities.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 15 March 2002
	Taking Shoreham Harbour as the area bordering the River Adur, the Eastern Arm and The Canal and excluding all water areas and the beach foreshore, the whole of the site consists of brownfield land with approximately 40 per cent. of this land being used for port-related activities.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what consultation has taken place on the proposed Harbour Revision Order for Shoreham Harbour between Shoreham Port Authority and (a) Adur council, (b) Brighton and Hove council, (c) West Sussex county council and (d) local residents.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The proposed Harbour Revision Order is still in draft form and has not yet been subject to any formal consultation by the Shoreham Port Authority. The authority will be consulting with all stakeholders of the port in due course.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the businesses based at Shoreham Harbour as tenants of Shoreham Port Authority; and how many employees are employed by each.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	My Department does not hold details of these businesses or their employees.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what criteria apply to the Chairman, Chief Executive and board members of the Shoreham port authority under Nolan Standards Commission requirements.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	As the Shoreham port authority is not a public body, the authority, its board members and employees are not bound by the requirements of the Nolan Committee on Standards in Public Life. However, 'Modernising Trust Ports—A Guide to Good Governance' published by my Department in January 2000 recommended that all trust ports should seek to adopt the Nolan procedures when making appointments to their boards. My Department does follow the Nolan principles, as set out in the 'Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies' issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, when making direct appointments to the board.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action is taken by his Department to monitor borrowing levels by Shoreham port authority.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	Although we approve the overall borrowing limits of the authority which are set in Harbour Revision Orders approved by my Department, we do not monitor the level of borrowing at any particular time.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will name the members of the interviewing panel for new board members of the Shoreham port authority.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	No interviews for the current vacancies on the board have taken place yet. The interview panel will consist of the Chairman of the Shoreham port authority, an independent member and a senior departmental official.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guidance he has given to members of Shoreham port authority regarding remuneration figures for board members and executive employees.

David Jamieson: None. The remuneration of the board members and executive employees of the Shoreham port authority is not a matter for my Department.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many applications were received for the two vacant places on the Shoreham port authority board; and how many candidates were interviewed.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	79 applications or expressions of interest were received. No candidates have been interviewed yet.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what criteria will be used for appointing future members of the Shoreham port authority board on the basis of the proposed Shoreham Harbour Revision Order.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The criteria for future appointments to the Shoreham port authority have not yet been formally approved.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what safety measures have been taken by Shoreham port authority to deal with hazardous waste since May 1997.

Alan Whitehead: holding answer 15 March 2002
	I am not aware of concerns over such safety measures. I would encourage the hon. Member to discuss his interest with the Health and Safety Executive or the Environment Agency.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the purpose was of the meeting between one of his officials and the vice-chairman and chief executive of Shoreham port authority on 1 February; who instigated the meeting; and if he will publish minutes.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The purpose of this meeting, arranged by officials from my Department, was to shortlist candidates for interview for board appointments to the Shoreham port authority. The content of this meeting remains confidential as we are still considering the shortlist of candidates proposed by this selection panel.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the terms of contract of the Chief Executive of Shoreham port authority; and what the procedure is for appointing a successor.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The recruitment and terms and conditions of employment of employees of the Shoreham port authority are not a matter for my Department.

Shoreham Harbour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the trust ports in the United Kingdom for which he is responsible and the members of their respective boards stating their appointing bodies where appropriate.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 March 2002
	I have no direct responsibility for any trust ports. We do not hold a list of the board members for every port and this information could be obtained by this Department only at disproportionate costs. The appointment procedures for each of these ports is set out in their own local legislation which we do hold copies of. However, this information could be collated only at a disproportionate cost to my Department.

Objective 2 Funding

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will (a) list the areas which have made representations that they should be in receipt of Objective 2 funding and (b) set out where included in those representations their per capita GDP as a proportion of the UK average and the year to which these figures relate.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Modular Housing

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if modular housing has the status of mobile homes; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: Mobile homes legislation defines mobile homes as any structure designed or adapted for human habitation which is capable of being moved from one place to another (whether by being towed, or by being transported on a motor vehicle or trailer) and any motor vehicle so designed or adapted. This may include a structure separately constructed and designed to be assembled on a site provided that, when assembled, it is physically capable of being moved.
	Subject to the views of the courts, a flat-pack home may fall within this definition. However, what is installed on a site licensed under the mobile homes legislation is a matter for the owner of the site, subject to local planning considerations.

Planning Appeals

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many appeals have been referred to his Department under section 21 of the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990; what were the results of these appeals; how long it took his Department to make a decision from receipt of the inspector's report in each year since May 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: All appeals under section 21 of the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 are referred to the Secretary of State for decision. Since 1992 ten appeals have been made five of which were subsequently withdrawn by the appellant. Of the others, two were allowed, one was refused and two have yet to be determined.
	Only one appeal has been determined since 1997. The decision, issued on 17 February 2000 was taken within 19 weeks of receipt of the Inspector's report.

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, columns 182–84W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against his Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by his Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It is the policy of the department that thefts of equipment should be reported to the police. It is for them in conjunction with the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for a prosecution to take place.

Hedges

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what regulations there are to control the size of garden hedges, with specific reference to permitting sufficient light for neighbours.

Sally Keeble: There are no regulations to control the size of garden hedges. Guidelines, which provide an objective method for assessing whether high hedges block out too much light to adjoining properties, were published on my Department's website in December 2001. We want to encourage people to apply the guidelines and use the results to settle disputes with their neighbours amicably. We are preparing a leaflet specially designed for this purpose, which we expect to launch in the spring. But the guidelines have no statutory force.
	We recognise that, in some cases, guidance and voluntary action is no substitute for a legal remedy to the problems caused by high hedges. We remain committed, therefore, to bringing forward legislation to set up a statutory complaints system for dealing with high hedge problems as soon as there is space in the Parliamentary timetable.

National Air Traffic Services

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  whether the employee shareholders of NATS were invited to contribute to the recent re-financing;
	(2)  what form the Government's recent financial assistance to NATS takes.

John Spellar: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 807W.

National Air Traffic Services

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the questions tabled by the hon. Member for Cotswold on 12 February refs 37055 and 37057 on NATS, when he will receive an answer.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on Monday 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 806W, and Tuesday 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 176W.

West Coast Mainline

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will make an announcement on the next phase of the west coast main line upgrade.

John Spellar: The SRA are currently working with Railtrack and other stakeholders on a review of the outputs from the west coast main line upgrade, and will make an announcement in due course.

Coast Protection

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the extent to which the proposed pontoon for the new Brixham lifeboat will affect the activities of the Brixham Sea Rangers, in deciding whether to grant a harbour revision order under the Coast Protection Act 1949; and when he plans to make a decision.

David Jamieson: I can confirm that the Department has received an application from the RNLI under section 34 of the Coast Protection Act 1949 for consent for the construction of an alongside berth.
	I am also aware that a particular consideration of this case is the Brixham Sea Rangers' concern that the proposed site of the new berth encroaches on a section of water granted for their own use.
	This issue is currently being addressed by the applicant and we understand that a mutually agreeable compromise may be achievable.

Drivers' Hours

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the status is for the purpose of drivers' hours regulations of time spent by a driver out of his vehicle during a journey by car ferry.

David Jamieson: Time spent on a ferryboat can be treated as a break or as part of the driver's daily rest period if it exceeds one hour in duration. But a driver is only allowed to interrupt his daily rest period once to enable him to embark or disembark a ferryboat, and in doing so, must add two hours to the total rest time.

Coalfields Regeneration Trust

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the work of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, with particular reference to (a) St. Helens, South, (b) St. Helens metropolitan borough and (c) Merseyside.

Sally Keeble: The total grant made by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust within Merseyside, up to March 2001, was £1,538,133. Of that, £215,322 went to projects in St. Helens, North and £733,498 to St. Helens, South. A further £589,313 was allocated to projects which spanned the St. Helens metropolitan borough.

Playgrounds

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what regulations govern the materials which can be used to provide safety surfaces in children's playgrounds.

Richard Caborn: I have been asked to reply
	There are no statutory regulations governing the materials which can be used to provide safety surfaces in children's playgrounds.
	DCMS funds research into children's play issues in England, including play safety. This work is currently carried out for us by the Children's Play Council, which has set up the Play Safety Forum to identify the key issues affecting play safety. DCMS officials attend this forum, which is working on a statement on play safety.

Research

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 4 March, Official Report, column 91W, on research documentation, for what reason the Department does not hold this information centrally.

David Jamieson: The information is not currently available centrally without disproportionate cost because responsibility for DTLR research is devolved to individual policy areas and programmes are not managed centrally. However, the Department is developing a central research database facility which is currently being populated with data. This should enable more information on research to be made available from a central source in future.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Commonwealth Games

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the organisers of the Commonwealth Games about drug testing at the Games; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: We continue to work with the Commonwealth Games Federation (who have formal responsibility for the development of the drug testing regime for the Commonwealth Games) as well as Games' organisers, Manchester 2002 Ltd., and UK Sport to ensure that a robust and reliable regime is in place for the Games; and which is consistent with internationally accepted standards of anti-doping

Commonwealth Games

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans United Kingdom Sport has to conduct (a) blood and (b) urine tests at the Commonwealth Games; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: We are committed to ensuring that a rigorous testing programme is in place for the Games and with the other Games funders have ensured that adequate funds are made available to the Games to allow for a full testing programme.
	We understand that the tests, which will be carried out for the Games by UK Sport on behalf of the Games organisers, Manchester 2002 Ltd. and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), may include both blood and urine tests. A decision on testing for EPO (Erythropoietin) using blood sampling is awaited from the CGF and will need to take account of any improvements identified by the International Olympic Committee from the protocols for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games. The final decision on the number and type of drug tests rests with the CGF.

Commonwealth Games

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what efforts have been made to use this summer's Commonwealth Games as a vehicle to promote inbound tourism.

Richard Caborn: The Commonwealth Games form a key part of the British Tourist Authority's (BTA) overseas marketing strategy.
	Examples of promotion include a BTA stall at the Edmonton Games last year, a Commonwealth Games colour supplement for inclusion in marketing brochures and a special Commonwealth Games pack. BTA offices in both Canada and Australia have recently taken groups of journalists to Manchester to see preparations for the Games.
	BTA is a member of the Regional Tourism Marketing Working Group created to maximise the tourism opportunities created by the Games and has seconded a marketing expert to Manchester.

Commonwealth Games

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of the tickets for this summer's Commonwealth Games have now been sold.

Richard Caborn: More than 460,000 tickets have been sold here in the UK—this equates to 60 per cent. of the available tickets. A further 110,000 tickets have also been sold to Commonwealth Games Associations and other bodies.

Celebrations

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what arrangements her Department has made to celebrate (a) St. Patrick's day, (b) St. George's day, (c) St. Andrew's day and (d) Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee; and how her Department celebrated St. David's day.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 11 March 2002
	There are certain days of the year known as 'named days' when the Union flag must be flown from Government buildings. The days include St. David's day (in Wales), St. George's day (in England), St. Andrew's day (in Scotland) but not St. Patrick's day. In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport there are no celebrations other than raising the Union flag.
	Consideration is being given to the Union flag flying protocol for the Jubilee. The Union flag will fly on Coronation Day (2 June) as this is a named day.
	The Golden Jubilee Office in DCMS is supporting, facilitating and co-ordinating the overall planning for the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations. I would also refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo) on 11 February 2002, Official Report, columns 58–59W. In DCMS all staff will be given the additional public holiday on 4 June 2002 to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, column 727W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against her Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by her Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: No criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against the Department.

Ministerial Group on Sport

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the progress of the cross-departmental Ministerial Group on Sport.

Richard Caborn: The Inter-Ministerial Group on Sport, which I chair, continues to meet monthly. It provides an opportunity for my Department, along with the Department for Education and Skills, the Department of Health, the Home Office, the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, Sport England and the New Opportunities Fund to get a cross-departmental perspective of the sport-related issues of the day, and to discuss options for addressing those that take into account the wishes and concerns of all involved. In addition, the group also receives feedback from the School Sport Alliance, which meets quarterly at official level to discuss the practicalities of putting the Government's Plan for Sport into practice.

Jubilee Medals

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the Yeoman of the Guard at the Tower of London will receive Jubilee Medals.

Tessa Jowell: The medal is being issued to members of the armed forces and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and to the emergency services. Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London do not fall within these categories and are therefore ineligible to receive the medal.

Charities

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to change Community Fund regulations to allow money to be made available to charities for more than six years at a time.

Richard Caborn: Decisions about the time limits on funding are for the Community Fund. Its directions require it to set specific time limits on the periods for which grants are payable, although the precise periods are a matter for the fund alone and are not subject to regulation by the Government.

Sports Facilities (Doomsday Book)

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made on the Doomsday Book of Sports Facilities.

Richard Caborn: Information on sports facilities is currently held by a variety of organisations and a single database will enable more strategic Government investment in those areas and facilities which are most important. My Department is continuing discussions with Sport England on the scope, content, and cost of the proposed database and how the project will be taken forward.

Lottery Grants

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects the first awards to be made by the National Lottery's joint Community Fund and New Opportunities Fund fair share project; what the final date is by which she expects all funds to have been distributed; and what measures are in place to ensure that all funds are distributed by this date.

Richard Caborn: Fair Share will begin distributing funds from April this year. It will operate for three years until March 2005 and by then we estimate that £169 million of Lottery funding will have been distributed under Fair Share to benefit the areas selected. The Community Fund and NOF are developing a monitoring and evaluation strategy for ensuring that these funds go where they are most needed.

Lottery Grants

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her answer of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 708W, if she will list the 50 areas which are likely to benefit from Lottery grants following the review; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: holding answer 15 March 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State on 28 February 2002, Official Report, columns 1539–40W to my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Tom Watson).

Lottery Grants

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many projects have (a) been supported by the National Lottery and (b) subsequently failed; what the average value is of grants made by the National Lottery; and what steps are being taken to ensure that projects are revenue-funded to ensure their long-term success.

Richard Caborn: To date 103,586 projects have been supported by the National Lottery and the average value of the awards amounts to £98,017. Comprehensive information on the number of failed Lottery projects is not centrally held at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Revised policy Directions issued by my Department in June 1998 freed Lottery distributors from past restrictions on revenue funding. It is for the distributors to decide the maximum period of time for which they will provide funding. It remains an important principle of Lottery funding that individual projects are for a defined period, to avoid commitments which would reduce the availability of resources for new projects.

Lottery Grants

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when her Department stopped recording information regarding (a) the number of applications made and (b) the amount of money asked for, by organisations per constituency; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: holding answer 15 March 2002
	This Department has never held comprehensive information on applications for Lottery grants by constituency, either in terms of the number of applications made or the amount of money requested.

Privy Council Silverware

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what the bidding process for the Privy Council silverware will be when it is offered for sale to institutions willing to display the items to the UK public; whether preferred institutions will be selected; by whom; on what criteria; whether (a) public and (b) charitable funds will be used for a national museum to secure the silverware; whether it is her policy that the four lots will be kept together in one institution; what her policy is on the acceptable level of public access to the silverware, and if there will be admission charges; and what recent discussions she has had with other departments on the retention of assets of cultural significance held by Government Departments;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy that the purchaser of the Privy Council silverware shall not impose admission charges for public access;
	(3)  if he will specify an acceptable level of public access to the Privy Council silverware after sale;
	(4)  if it is his policy that the Privy Council silverware should be kept together in one institution;
	(5)  what will be the process for offering the Privy Council silverware for sale;
	(6)  if it is his policy the purchaser of Privy Council silverware must be willing to display the items publicly.

Andrew Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	Current plans are for the Government to identify institutions willing to display the items to the UK public. These institutions would then be invited to submit bids against specified criteria. These criteria would cover both the arrangements for display and the proposed price. Admission charges will not be a criterion; nor will the bidding institution's source of funding. The items would be sold as a single group.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Job Advertisements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the job advertisements placed by his Department in the last 12 months specifying where the advertisements were placed and the cost in each case.

Ben Bradshaw: The following is a list of all job advertisements placed, by the FCO since 1 March 2001. All costs include VAT.
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			  Policy Entry June/July 2001 
			 Guardian 3,920.40 
			 The Voice 1,317.40 
			 Asian Times 1,645.00 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,055.16 
			 Glasgow Herald 4,342.00 
			 Scotsman 5,281.00 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 3,347.90 
			   
			  Policy Entry Economics option June/July 2001 
			 Guardian 3,920.40 
			 Totaljobs.com 275.00 
			 The Voice 1,317.40 
			 Asian Times 1,645.00 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,305.96 
			 Glasgow Herald 4,345.96 
			 Scotsman 5,281.00 
			 Economist 5,625.00 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 3,817.60 
			   
			 Policy Entry Economics option—second round November/December 2001 
			 Economist 5,720.00 
			 Ethnic Media Group 2,520.00 
			   
			  Operational Entry September 2001 
			 Evening Standard 6,033.39 
			 Guardian 5,631.35 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,311.15 
			 The Voice 1,772.56 
			 Muslim News 1,086.88 
			 Glasgow Herald 6,391.06 
			 Scotsman 6,465.79 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,930.38 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 4,996.83 
			 Centre point group website 293.75 
			   
			  Operational Entry January 2002 
			 Evening Standard 6,171.10 
			 Guardian 5,631.35 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,311.15 
			 The Voice 1,713.81 
			 Muslim News 916.50 
			 Glasgow Herald 6,391.06 
			 Scotsman 6,465.79 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,856.90 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 5,445.19 
			 Centre point group website 293.75 
			   
			  Overseas Security Managers January 2002 
			 Police Review 3,479.20 
			 Pathfinder 2,695.84 
			   
			  Executive Assistant option July 2001 
			 Evening Standard and Metro 6,157.94 
			 Daily Mail 10,734.80 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,290.00 
			 The Voice 1,772.56 
			 Glasgow Herald 6,379.31 
			 The Scotsman 6,465.79 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,812.88 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 4,998.92 
			 Daily News 810.75 
			 Daily Jang 940.00 
			   
			  Executive Assistant October 2001 
			 Evening Standard and Metro 6,157.94 
			 Daily Mail 10,734.80 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,290.00 
			 The Voice 1,687.96 
			 Glasgow Herald 6,379.31 
			 The Scotsman 6,465.79 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,812.88 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 4,998.92 
			 Daily News 810.75 
			   
			  Executive Assistant February 2002 
			 Evening Standard and Metro 6,157.94 
			 Daily Mail 10,734.80 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,290.00 
			 The Voice 1,687.96 
			 Glasgow Herald 6,379.31 
			 The Scotsman 6,477.54 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,821.94 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 5,432.26 
			 Daily News 831.90 
			   
			  Administrative Assistants April 2001 
			 Evening Standard 17,371.20 
			 Metro 2,538.00 
			 North London Group 4,053.28 
			 South London Press 4,876.60 
			  Administrative Assistants June 2001 
			 Evening Standard 17,371.20 
			 Metro 3,619.00 
			 South London Press 4,876.25 
			   
			  Administrative Assistants August 2001 
			 Evening Standard 17,371.20 
			 Metro 3,619.00 
			 South London Press 4,876.60 
			   
			  Administrative Assistants February 2002 
			 Evening Standard 17,371.20 
			 Metro 3,980.90 
			 South London Press 5,420.28 
			 Milton Keynes Citizen 3,302.93 
			 Milton Keynes on Sunday 1,710.80 
			 Bedfordshire on Sunday 4,342.80 
			 Northants Chronicle and Echo 3,006.85 
			   
			  Regional Medical Officer Moscow/Dhaka April 2001 
			 British Medical Journal 1,894.10 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,084.38 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,791.80 
			 Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday 6,433.13 
			 Glasgow/Sunday Herald 6,345.00 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 5,913.19 
			   
			  Research Analyst, North Asia Pacific Group May 2001 
			 Guardian 3,789.38 
			 Times Educational Supplement 1,805.98 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,084.38 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,791.80 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 5,322.75 
			 Scotsman/Scotsman on Sunday 6,433.13 
			 Glasgow/Sunday Herald 5,922.00 
			   
			  Nurse, New Delhi May 2001 
			 Nursing Times 2,812.95 
			 RCN Bulletin 1,917.60 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,125.50 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,680.18 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 5,677.60 
			 Scotsman 6,175.80 
			 Glasgow Herald 5,414.40 
			   
			  Internet Editors May 2001 
			 Internet Business 1,745.00 
			 Revolution 1,995.00 
			 Guardian 4,432.50 
			 Scotsman 6,637.50 
			 Glasgow Herald 5,290.00 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,467.60 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 5,347.00 
			 Asian Times Group 2,700.00 
			   
			  Employment Law Officer June 2001 
			 Guardian 4,307.55 
			 People Management 5,405.00 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 6,387.30 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,904.60 
			 Glasgow/Sunday Herald 6,598.80 
			 Scotsman/Scotsman on Sunday 6,690.45 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,207.75 
			   
			  Research Officer—Drugs and International Crime July 2001 
			 Times/Sunday Times 9,605.63 
			 Guardian 4,406.25 
			 Glasgow/Sunday Herald 5,922.00 
			 Scotsman/Scotsman on Sunday 6,433.13 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 3,784.68 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,084.38 
			 Economist 8,093.40 
			   
			  Head of Human Resources Statistics and Planning September 2001 
			 RSS News 500.00 
			 People Management 2,874.00 
			 Guardian 2,550.00 
			 Asian Times 1,750.00 
			 Scotsman 5,410.00 
			 Glasgow Herald 5,410.00 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 2,848.50 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,517.60 
			   
			  Regional Medial Officer Abuja October 2001 
			 British Medical Journal 2,535.65 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,084.38 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,791.80 
			 Glasgow/Sunday Herald 6,345.00 
			 Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday 6,433.13 
			 Western Mail/Mail on Sunday 3,360.50 
			   
			  Accountants October 2001 
			 Accountancy Age 2,900.00 
			 Guardian 4,600.00 
			 Milton Keynes Citizen 1,970.00 
			 Scotsman 7,600.00 
			 Glasgow Herald 7,500.00 
			 Scottish AM 1,000.00 
			 Belfast Telegraph 3,468.00 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 7,095.00 
			 Asian Times 2,550.00 
			   
			  Internal Auditors October 2001 
			 Internal Auditing and Business Risk 960.00 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,084.38 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,791.80 
			 Glasgow/Sunday Herald 6,345.00 
			 Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday 6,433.13 
			 Western Mail/Wales on Sunday 9,070.41 
			   
			  Research Analysts—Americas Group and Research Assistant—Eastern Group November 2001 
			 Guardian 4,850.40 
			 Times Higher Education Supplement 2,380.08 
			 Ethnic Media Group 4,963.20 
			 Western Mail/Wales on Sunday 8,602.13 
			 Belfast Telegraph 3,573.50 
			 Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday 8,234.40 
			 Glasgow/Sunday Herald 5,768.00 
			   
			  Forward Planner—News Department November 2001 
			 Guardian 6,961.88 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,084.38 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,791.80 
			 Western Mail/Wales on Sunday 6,720.41 
			 Glasgow Herald 6,334.00 
			 Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday 6,433.13 
			   
			  Nurse—Lagos January 2002 
			 RCN Bulletin 2,077.40 
			 Nursing Times 2,627.30 
			   
			  Communication Support Worker February 2002 
			 Guardian 7,148.70 
			 British Deaf News 793.13 
			 Disability Now 1,649.70 
			 Jobability with Totaljobs 293.75 
			   
			  Legal Researcher—Legal Adviser February 2002 
			 The Times 3,354.00 
			   
			  Assistant Legal Advisers February 2002 
			 The Lawyer 2,990.00 
			 The Times 3,354.00 
			 Journal of the Law Society of Scotland 1,371.00 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 5,757.00 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,546.00 
			 Glasgow/Sunday Herald 5,616.00 
			 Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday 5,694.00 
			   
			  Senior Editors and Research Assistant—Records and Historical Department February 2002 
			 Guardian 6,570.00 
			 Ethnic Media Group 3,510.00 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 6,642.00 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,937.00 
			 Glasgow/Sunday Herald 6,480.00 
			 Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday 6,570.00 
			   
			  Head of Internal Audit February 2002 
			 Internal Audit Magazine 996.00 
			 Financial Times 6,230.00 
			 Accountancy Age 3,000.00 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,350.80 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 2,713.00 
			 The Voice 1,507.00 
			 White Paper 2,000.00 
			 Scotsman 4,830.00 
			 Glasgow Herald 5,380.00 
			 Asian Times Group 2,790.00 
			   
			  Mail Room Assistant—Hanslope Park April 2002 
			 GWR Radio Services 5,536.60 
			 Metro and News North-West 2,538.00 
			   
			  Finance Director—Hanslope Park April 2001 
			 Accountancy Age 2,900.00 
			 Financial Times 6,020.00 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,467.60 
			 Western Mail 5,197.00 
			 Evening Herald 5,290.00 
			 Scotsman 5,360.00 
			 Asian Times 2,700.00 
			   
			  Modern Apprenticeships—Hanslope Park April 2001 
			 Premier Newspapers 6,288.41 
			   
			  Assistant Telecommunication Technical Officer—Hanslope Park April 2001 
			 Daily Mail 5,875.00 
			 Path Finder 2,285.38 
			   
			  Investigating Officer June 2001 
			 Janes Information Group 2,667.25 
			 Daily Mail 6,688.69 
			  Diplomatic Service Language Centre Project Manager June 2001 
			 Guardian 7,191.00 
			 Times Higher Educational Supplement 2,048.03 
			   
			  IT Project Manager June 2001 
			 Milton Keynes Citizen 4,051.87 
			   
			  IT Support Staff—Helpdesk July 2001 
			 Daily Mail 5,875.00 
			 Evening Standard 3,595.50 
			   
			  IT Support Staff—Hanslope Park July 2001 
			 Daily Mail 5,875.00 
			 Milton Keynes Citizen 4,300.00 
			   
			  Drivers, Freight Service—Hanslope Park August 2001 
			 GWR Radio 1,943.45 
			   
			  IT jobs London August 2001 
			 Daily Mail 5,875.00 
			 Premier Newspapers 3,079.97 
			   
			  Architects Estate Group—Croydon October 2001 Engineers, Technicians, Architects, Health and Safety Adviser, Quantity Surveyor and Project Officer 
			 Daily/Sunday Telegraph 28,197.65 
			 Building 13,776.88 
			 Evening Standard 14,551.20 
			 Belfast Telegraph 4,839.83 
			 Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday 11,150.75 
			 Glasgow/Sunday Herald 10,998.00 
			 Cardiff Western Mail/Wales On Sunday 12,335.15 
			 Ethnic Media Group 9,212.00 
			 Architects Journal 9,973.40 
			 Building Design 4,935.00 
			 Building Services Journal 5,943.15 
			 Building Service and Environmental Engineer 3,243.00 
			 Safety and Health Practitioner 1,222.00 
			 www.Building/BSJ Barbourexpert 2,350.00 
			 www.Careersinconstruction 2,526.25 
			   
			 Costs to follow  
			   
			  Assistant Telecommunication Technical Officer—Hanslope Park November 2001 
			 Path Finder 2,285.38 
			 Milton Keynes Citizen 4,434.73 
			 Daily/Sunday Express 5,875.00 
			   
			  Librarians November 2001 
			 Guardian 7,896.00

Lebanon

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the British Government have made to the Government of Lebanon to ascertain the fate of three Israeli soldiers taken prisoner by Hezbollah on 7 October 2000, and to encourage the Lebanese Government to work for their release.

Jack Straw: Her Majesty's Government has made a number of representations to Governments in the Middle East, including the Lebanese, about the fate of the soldiers and will continue to do so. We support all efforts to make progress, whether it be obtaining news of their situation, gaining access to them by ICRC and—most welcome—their release. Most recently, I met families of the soldiers during his visit to Israel in February.

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, column 776W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against his Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by his Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: In every case where equipment was reported stolen, an internal investigation was carried out. Unfortunately in every case, the investigation proved inconclusive with no culprit identified. As a result there were no criminal proceedings, no convictions, no actual costs incurred and no items recovered.

Iraq

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the European Union in respect of US policy towards Iraq.

Ben Bradshaw: Both my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I regularly discuss Iraq with our counterparts in the European Union. We share the concerns of the US Government, and all responsible Governments, about Iraq's support for terrorism and its development of weapons of mass destruction.

Nepal

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government are giving to the Government of the Kingdom of Nepal in the struggle against Maoist rebels.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK has provided training and logistics support to the Royal Nepalese Army through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool, which is jointly administered by the FCO, MOD and DFID. We will look carefully at any requests for further assistance from the Nepalese Government.

Biological Weapons

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made with regard to verification procedures relating to the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

Ben Bradshaw: Negotiations on a compliance Protocol to strengthen the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) concluded unsuccessfully at the 24th Session of the Ad Hoc Group of States Parties in August 2001. And as no agreement could be reached at the subsequent Review Conference in December last year a decision was made to suspend the proceedings. The Conference will reconvene in Geneva on 11 November when we hope that it will be possible to make progress in reinforcing the norm against biological weapons. In preparation for the Conference the Government will shortly present a Government paper setting out its views on ways to counter the threat from biological weapons. This will be laid in the House in April.

Ian Stillman

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he raised the case of Ian Stillman with (a) President Narayanan and (b) Prime Minister Vajpayee in India during his visit on 27 February.

Ben Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary did not raise Ian Stillman's case with Prime Minister Vajpayee or President Narayanan. However, he raised it on 27 February 2002 with the Indian Home Minister, L. K. Advani, and asked that Mr. Stillman's forthcoming appeal to the Supreme Court be heard as quickly as possible.
	I also raised Mr. Stillman's case on 18 February 2002 with the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Omar Abdullah.
	Our High Commissioner in New Delhi raised Mr. Stillman's case with the Indian Home Secretary, Kamal Pande, on 20 December 2001. He also discussed it with Mr. Advani on 2 January 2002.
	Our High Commission is dong all it can to ensure that the Indian authorities are meeting Mr. Stillman's welfare requirements adequately and that his forthcoming appeal to the Supreme Court is heard as quickly as possible.

Ian Stillman

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Exeter raised the case of Ian Stillman with (a) President Narayanan and (b) Prime Minister Vajpayee on his visit on 18, 21 and 22 February.

Ben Bradshaw: I did not meet Prime Minister Vajpayee or President Narayanan during my visit. However, I raised Mr. Stillman's case on 18 February 2002 with the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Omar Abdullah, and asked that his forthcoming appeal to the Supreme Court be heard as quickly as possible.
	My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary also raised Mr. Stillman's case on 27 February 2002 with the Indian Home Minister, L. K. Advani. Our High Commissioner in New Delhi raised it with the Indian Home Secretary, Kamal Pande, on 20 December 2001. He also discussed it with the Indian Home Minister, L.K. Advani, on 2 January 2002.
	Our High Commission is doing all it can to ensure that the Indian authorities are meeting Mr. Stillman's welfare requirements adequately and that his forthcoming appeal to the Supreme Court is heard as quickly as possible.

Ian Stillman

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the UK high commissioner in India has raised the case of Ian Stillman with (a) President Narayanan and (b) Prime Minister Vajpayee in India.

Ben Bradshaw: Our high commissioner in New Delhi has not raised Ian Stillman's case with President Narayanan or Prime Minister Vajpayee. However, he raised it with the Indian Home Secretary, Kamal Pande, on 20 December 2001. He also discussed it with the Indian Home Minister, L. K. Advani, on 2 January 2002.
	I raised Mr. Stillman's case with the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Omar Abdullah, on 18 February 2002. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary also raised it with Mr. Advani on 27 February 2002.
	Our high commission in New Delhi is doing all it can to ensure that the Indian authorities are meeting Mr. Stillman's welfare requirements adequately and that his forthcoming appeal to the Supreme Court is heard as quickly as possible.

India

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken to advance proposals in the Delhi declaration, and in particular the recommendation that India take up a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Ben Bradshaw: pursuant to his reply, 12 March 2002, c. 864–65W
	An incorrectly drafted answer was given to my hon. Friend on 12 March. The full correct answer is as follows:
	In the last two months my right hon. Friend the Foreign secretary has visited India once and met twice with India's External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh. They discussed a number of areas of partnership including terrorism, peacekeeping, defence relations, and Afghanistan and other regional issues. The two Prime Ministers' Personal Envoys, David Manning and Brajesh Mishra, also met on 4 February.
	The Secretary of State discussed Security Council reform with Jaswant Singh on 27 February. We looked forward to progress on this issue at the United Nations.

Angola

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a list of arms exports to Angola for each of the last five years.

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department of Trade and Industry's Export Control Organisation does not record actual exports. It records details of all export licences issued and refused, which are published in the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	The granting of a licence does not necessarily translate into actual exports.

SCOTLAND

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, column 698W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against her Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by her Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Liddell: In the case of stolen equipment reported by my Department, I understand that no criminal proceedings have been undertaken.

DEFENCE

Army Strength

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) largest and (b) smallest shortfall was in the strength of the Army during the past five years; what the latest figure is; and when he expects all vacancies to be filled.

Adam Ingram: In the last five years, the largest shortfall in personnel against the in-year requirement for UK Trained Army Personnel was 8,063 in August 2001. The smallest shortfall during the period, against the lower assessed requirement at that time, was 4,855 in September 1997. As at 1 February 2002, there was a shortfall of 7,477 personnel against the currently assessed in-year requirement for UK Trained Army Personnel. These figures should not be compared with whole army strength targets which also incorporate the full time reserve service and Gurkha trained manpower.
	Army manpower requirements are kept under regular review. The exact size of the Army will depend on the outcome of ongoing studies into the best ways of delivering the military capabilities required of the Army.

Veterans

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to review compensation for the veterans of the Christmas Island tests and, where they are deceased, their surviving spouses and families.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence has every confidence in the independent studies carried out by the National Radiological Protection Board and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund that showed veterans' participation in the nuclear test programme has not had a detectable effect on their expectation of life, or on their risk of developing cancer or other fatal diseases. Consequently grounds do not exist for compensation to be paid to British nuclear test veterans or their surviving spouses and families. There are no plans to review this position.

Veterans

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve the handling of veterans' issues.

Lewis Moonie: Since the announcement of the Veterans Initiative, and my appointment as Minister for Veterans Affairs one year ago, we have built up a partnership with veterans' organisations and other Government Departments to develop an integrated policy for veterans. This is well advanced, and will address veterans' concerns across Government and identify means of improving the delivery of services to veterans, particularly the most vulnerable.
	Working through a Veterans Forum and a Ministerial Task Force, we have agreed an action plan. As part of this we have commissioned nine working groups, made up jointly of representatives of the veterans community and of interested Government Departments, to identify ways of giving practical expression to the Initiative's core themes of partnership, identity, recognition and care. We expect to see the first results of this work later this year.

Veterans

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress achieved by the Government's veterans' initiative since it was launched.

Lewis Moonie: Since the announcement of the Veterans Initiative, and my appointment as Minister for Veterans Affairs one year ago, we have made substantial progress towards meeting the objective of the initiative: to build-up a partnership with veterans organisations and other Government Departments to develop an integrated response to veterans concerns, focused in particular on the most vulnerable.
	I have been considering how we can improve the service offered to our veterans from within my own Department. Capitalising on the transfer of the War Pensions Agency to the Ministry of Defence in June of last year and on its excellent record for customer-service, I have decided that the War Pensions Agency should provide a special focus for our support to veterans and that, accordingly, with effect from 2 April, it should be renamed the Veterans Agency. As a first step towards giving substance to this change of name, the Veterans Agency will, from the end of this month, provide an integrated website and freephone helpline that will be the first point of contact for veterans seeking advice and information. For the longer term, we will also be looking at the future development of the War pensioners Welfare Service, and in particular the possibility of expanding partnerships with the charitable sector to improve the support delivered in this area by offering a better co-ordinated service.
	Working through the Veterans Forum and Ministerial Task Force, we have agreed an action plan and nine working groups, made up jointly of representatives of the veterans' community and of interested Government Departments to take work forward. These are now addressing the particular concerns identified within the initiative's core themes of partnership, identity, recognition and care. This work includes developing new resettlement training for the most vulnerable of our Service leavers who are at greatest risk of social exclusion, the development of material for the new Key Stage 3 and 4 scheme for citizenship to be part of the National Curriculum from September 2002; improving communication between Government and veterans, recognition of veterans' achievements in more recent years, and problems faced by the veterans charities' care homes. The Working Groups will be reporting their progress to me in time for the next meeting of the Veterans Forum and the Ministerial Task Force in April and May respectively.
	We are also taking steps to address two of the particular concerns that veterans have raised about the War Pension Schemes. From this April, the provisions for war widowers will be equalised to bring them fully into line with those currently available to war widows. Further, we plan to introduce measures from August that will guarantee that a war pensioner can return to Unemployability Supplement within the first 12 months of starting work.
	I place a particular premium on the partnership that we have been building with the representatives of the Veterans Organisations and am pleased to acknowledge the considerable part that their positive response has played in enabling us to take this initiative forward. I look forward to building on this partnership to develop and deliver a significant programme of further improvements for the future.

Defence Estates

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve the management of defence estates; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Building on the policy laid out in "In Trust and On Trust: the strategy for the Defence Estate", we are implementing the prime contracting initiative as part of Government's "Achieving Excellence" agenda for the construction industry, and putting in place a new management structure for the estate within the Ministry of Defence. The new organisation will come into operation on 1 April 2003.
	We will establish a single new estate procurement organisation, comprising the existing Defence estates agency and specialist estate staff currently working elsewhere in the Department, and six customer estate organisations serving the Services and top level budget holders.

Afghanistan

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what future commitments he plans in relation to Afghanistan.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Mr. Robertson).

European Rapid Reaction Force

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Britain's participation in the European Rapid Reaction Force.

Geoff Hoon: There is no standing European Rapid Reaction Force. Under the Helsinki Headline Goal, however, the United Kingdom has identified a pool of relevant forces and capabilities that it might contribute to an EU-led operation. This includes a maximum of 12,500 troops plus, if required, up to 18 warships and 72 combat aircraft.

European Defence Co-operation

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress in multinational defence co-operation in Europe.

Geoff Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxstowe (Dr. Palmer).

Iraq

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the United States Government on the subject of terrorist activity in Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: I have regular discussions with the United States Government on a wide range of issues, including all aspects of policy towards Iraq and the campaign against international terrorism. We share the concerns of all responsible Governments about Iraq's support for terrorism and its development of weapons of mass destruction.

Iraq

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many missions the Royal Air Force has undertaken over Iraqi airspace in the last 12 months.

Adam Ingram: RAF aircraft undertake a range of missions as part of multinational no-fly-zone enforcement operations. A single no-fly-zone (NFZ) patrol involves multiple aircraft types performing individual missions in an integrated package.
	Between 1 March 2001 and 28 February 2002 RAF aircraft entered Iraqi airspace as part of a coalition patrol package on 130 occasions in the northern NFZ and 220 occasions in the southern. During these patrols they undertook 1,274 missions.

International Terrorism

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken to adjust defence capabilities to deal with international terrorism.

Geoff Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Lawrie Quinn).

Porton Down

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the latest figures available indicate an increase in the numbers of animals involved in scientific procedures at Porton Down.

Lewis Moonie: The number of animal procedures (as defined by the Animals Scientific Procedures Act (1986)) conducted at Dstl Porton Down in 2001 was 12,955. This is an increase of 8 per cent. over the previous year and 12 per cent. over the last five years. The majority (92 per cent.) of the 2001 procedures were conducted on mice.
	The main reason for the growth in numbers is the increased amount of research being undertaken to develop vaccines and other medical countermeasures against materials that may be used as biological weapons, either in warfare or by terrorists. Vaccines developed under these research programmes will also be useful for travellers and for those living in parts of the world where certain diseases are endemic.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution has been made by the War Pensions Agency to the discussions towards the establishment of an epidemiological study into volunteers who took part in experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down.

Lewis Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 11W. The War Pensions Agency has made no contribution to this work since that date.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 17 December 2001, Official Report, columns 72–73W, regarding Porton Down, if he will place the papers documenting the results of the searches in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Papers documenting the results of archival searches will be incorporated into the Historical Survey of the Service Volunteer programme at Porton Down. The survey is expected to report in the summer, and the findings will be published.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes, agenda and papers of the meeting between his Department's staff and representatives of the Medical Research Council staff on 5 March 2001 regarding the epidemiological study for Porton Down volunteers.

Lewis Moonie: No such documents were produced following the meeting on 5 March 2001. This was an informal meeting, the purpose of which was to allow representatives of the Medical Research Council to visit Porton Down, meet members of staff, and view original reference material.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates officials from his Department and the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down have held meetings with representatives of the Medical Research Council since 3 August 2001 regarding advice on the epidemiological study for Porton Down volunteers.

Lewis Moonie: Since 3 August 2001, the Medical Research Council (MRC) have met representatives of the Ministry of Defence on the following occasions to discuss epidemiological research into Porton Down volunteers: 9 October 2001, an MRC seminar; 16 January 2002, a meeting of the MRC's Physiological Medicine and Infections Board (PMIB); and 5 February 2002, a meeting of the MRC Liaison Group. Representatives from the MOD attended all of these meetings; Chemical Defence Establishment (now known as Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) Porton Down were only represented at the MRC seminar.

Aldermaston

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to change the level of MOD police manpower at AWE Aldermaston.

Lewis Moonie: Ministry of Defence Police staffing levels at AWE Aldermaston, and at other MOD establishments, are kept under regular review. A complementing review of MOD police staffing levels at AWE Aldermaston was conducted at the end of 2001. The conclusions of the review, which took account of the events of 11 September, will shortly be circulated for consideration by interested parties within MOD. No decisions have yet been taken and there will be full consultation with the Defence Police Federation before any changes are implemented.

Coalition Against International Terrorism

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for further armed forces commitments overseas as part of the international coalition against terrorism.

Geoff Hoon: We keep our plans under constant review.

European Security and Defence Policy

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on European Security and Defence Policy.

Geoff Hoon: The European Security and Defence Policy seeks to strengthen European military capabilities and to improve EU nations' contributions to NATO.

European Security and Defence Policy

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the Foreign Office about the ESDP.

Geoff Hoon: I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on a range of issues, including ESDP.

Armed Forces Family Taskforce

George Mudie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the armed forces family taskforce.

Adam Ingram: The Service Families Taskforce was set up by the Government in 1999 to deal with service family issues that were outside the control of the Ministry of Defence. It is headed by a ministerial group which last met on 15 November last year. I also meet with representatives of service families twice a year to discuss areas of concern.
	The Service Families Taskforce has been involved in a wide range of issues since its conception. The main areas of progress over the last year are:
	(a) Consultation with the Department of Health in the drafting of new adoption legislation to ensure that service families will not be disadvantaged.
	(b) Resolution of the problems that some service families had encountered in claiming working families tax credit on return to the UK from an overseas posting.
	(c) Resolution of the problems that some service spouses had encountered in claiming Child Support Agency payments when on an overseas posting.
	(d) Discussions with the Department for Education and Skills, and with local education authorities, to see what measures can be taken to improve the schools admissions process for the children of service families.
	(e) Discussions with the NHS Waiting and Booking Team on the problems that service families face when transferring between NHS trust areas.
	(f) Discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions to identify any problems that service families have faced in claiming benefits while on overseas postings.
	(g) Since 1 April 2001 service spouses have been able to open stakeholder pensions while on an overseas posting.

Type 45 Destroyer

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strategic employment implications are of the revised procurement strategy for Type 45 destroyers; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The revised procurement strategy for the Type 45 destroyer, which was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 10 July 2001, shares work on the first batch of ships between BAE Systems Marine and Vosper Thornycroft. On 18 February 2002, my noble Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement announced that a contractual commitment had been made for a further three Type 45 platforms, bringing the total number of ships on contract to six. BAE Systems Marine has confirmed that, once the construction programme is fully up and running, work on Type 45 vessels will sustain a steady level of some 1,250 jobs on the Clyde and about a further 900 jobs at Barrow-in-Furness well into this decade. Vosper Thornycroft estimate that the planned Type 45 work should sustain a steady level of some 800 jobs on the south coast over a similar period.

Former Yugoslavia

Ernie Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the contribution of the Ministry of Defence to conflict prevention in the former Yugoslavia.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has all extensive record of activity in the field of conflict prevention in the former Yugoslavia. In addition to our contribution to peacekeeping forces operating in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia, my Department runs a number of programmes in the region which are designed to dispel hostility, build and maintain trust, and assist in the development of democratically accountable armed forces, thereby making a significant contribution to conflict prevention. These include leadership and staff training for military officers; seminars, exchanges and visits directly concerned with security sector reform; and general underpinning outreach activities such as English language training for military personnel.

Courts Martial

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on future changes to the court martial system and their implications for military discipline.

Adam Ingram: Court martial procedures are kept under review. We are considering whether any changes will be required when the three service discipline Acts are replaced by a single piece of discipline legislation covering all the services. We are also assessing what modifications may be necessary as a result of the recent judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Morris v. the United Kingdom. Any changes will reflect the need for service discipline to underpin operational effectiveness.

Courts Martial

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases were brought before courts martial in each of HM armed services in the most recent year for which figures are available; if he will break down these cases by (a) the nature of charges brought and (b) verdicts delivered; and what estimate he has made of cases which could feasibly have been considered by a civilian court.

Adam Ingram: The statistics requested are given in the following list for each of the services, and cover the year 2000.
	Royal Navy (inc. Royal Marines)
	53 court-martial trials involving 56 accused persons facing 114 alleged offences.
	39 of the accused were convicted on one or more charges.
	16 were acquitted of all charges brought against them.
	The trial of one individual saw the court dissolved and the case returned for summary dealing.
	The types of charges involved were:
	29 cases of theft
	23 cases of assault
	11 cases of actual bodily harm
	9 cases of falsification of documents
	9 cases of drunkenness
	6 cases of dishonestly obtaining
	5 cases of conduct prejudicial
	4 cases of disobedience to standing orders
	4 cases of absence without leave
	3 cases of indecent assault
	2 cases of fighting
	2 cases of possession of drugs
	2 cases of damage to property
	2 cases of negligent performance of duty
	1 case of disobedience to lawful commands
	1 case of sexual harassment
	1 case of sleeping on watch.
	Army
	409 court-martial trials involving 455 accused persons facing 980 alleged offences.
	373 of the accused were convicted on 817 offences.
	82 were acquitted on 163 offences.
	The type of charges involved were:
	192 cases concerned with forms of violent crime
	100 cases of absence without leave and/or desertion
	66 cases of theft
	34 cases concerned with forms of sexual crime
	18 cases of drunkenness and/or driving under the influence of alcohol
	7 cases of drugs possession
	4 cases of drugs supply
	3 cases of criminal damage
	31 cases involving a range of offences.
	Note: The Army record only the most serious of the alleged offences faced by an individual at a court martial trial. Therefore the breakdown of types of charges totals only 455, i.e. one charge per defendant.
	Royal Air Force
	62 court-martial trials involving 81 accused persons facing 102 alleged offences.
	45 of the accused were convicted on 62 offences.
	21 were acquitted on 23 offences.
	15 individuals had their trials, concerning 17 offences, discontinued.
	The types of charges involved were:
	28 cases concerned with forms of violent crime
	15 cases concerned with forgery, deception and false accounting
	11 cases of disobeying orders
	8 cases of theft
	8 cases concerned with false information and statements
	8 cases of conduct to prejudice of Air Force discipline
	5 cases of absence without leave or failure to attend for duty
	5 cases of indecent assault
	4 cases of disorderly or disgraceful conduct
	3 cases concerning damage to property
	2 cases of negligent performance of duty
	2 cases of drunkenness
	2 cases concerned with drugs offences
	1 case of causing death by drunken driving.
	The ordinary courts do not have jurisdiction to try service disciplinary offences or, in most cases, offences committed outside the United Kingdom. Service courts are able to deal with all but the most serious criminal cases in the UK and are able to bring to bear a full appreciation of the impact of an offence committed in a service environment. The benefit of transferring the most serious criminal cases to the ordinary courts allows a balance to be maintained between the military and civilian judicial systems.

Courts Martial

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research has been commissioned to look at alternative arrangements, compliant with the Human Rights Act 1998, for military discipline; and what estimate he has made of the limitations there are on the use of criminal courts.

Adam Ingram: The arrangements for administering discipline in the armed forces are kept under review, including with a view to their remaining compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. Changes are made where necessary, to reflect the requirements of the Convention and also to keep in step with appropriate developments in the civilian justice system.
	This flexible approach to service discipline procedures is considered to be preferable to greater use of the civilian criminal courts. Generally, civilian courts are less likely that service courts to process a full appreciation of the importance of discipline to the operational effectiveness of the armed forces and of the possibility that an offence committed in a service environment may have even more serious implications that a similar offence in civilian life. Moreover, civilian courts do not have jurisdiction to try service disciplinary offences. Nor in most cases do civilian courts in the United Kingdom have jurisdiction in respect of offences alleged to have been committed overseas by service personnel or civilians accompanying them. The worldwide application of service law is particularly important for mobile forces that need to be able to maintain discipline, as a key to operational effectiveness, wherever they are deployed. The ability of service courts to try alleged offences committed outside the United Kingdom can also be a useful means of ensuring that the accused are dealt with in British courts and in accordance with a system of British law, rather than in foreign courts where the language, law and procedures may be unfamiliar to them.

Courts Martial

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the changes that have been made to the provisions for courts martial contained within the Army Act 1955 to bring the framework for military discipline into line with Article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights; and what the principal findings of the European Court on 26 February were.

Adam Ingram: The Armed Forces Act 1996 made extensive changes to the court martial system in all three services, intended to reinforce the independence of the courts and those making decisions concerning court proceedings, and to make the procedures as a whole compatible with Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which concerns the right to a fair hearing.
	The main changes were:
	The replacement of the convening officer, who previously had the key role in deciding whether charges should be preferred against an individual, in appointing court martial members, and in confirming court martial findings and sentences. The convening officer's functions were divided between higher authorities, who take a preliminary view on whether court martial proceedings are appropriate for cases that are referred to them by commanding officers; prosecuting authorities independent of the service chain of command, who decide whether to prosecute and what charges should be brought; and court administration officers, whose responsibilities include the selection of court martial members, drawn from a different command to that of the accused.
	The introduction of a requirement that the membership of every court martial should include a judge advocate appointed by the Judge Advocate General or the Chief Naval Judge Advocate. The judge advocate acquired an enhanced role, so that his advice on points of law is binding on the court and he has a vote on sentence.
	The introduction of a simpler process of review of court martial findings and sentences (in the Army and RAF, replacing post-trial confirmation). Any changes resulting from review are intended not to worsen the position of the accused.
	The extension of the right of appeal to include appeal against sentence as well as against finding.
	The extension of the right for an accused to choose to be tried by court martial, rather than being dealt with summarily.
	The judgment of the European Court of Human Rights on the case of Morris v. the United Kingdom, published on 26 February, included the observation that these changes had gone a long way to meeting its concerns about the structure of the court martial system. The court also found that there was no violation of Article 6 of the Convention arising from the relationship between the chain of command and those involved in court martial proceedings.
	However, it found that there had been a violation of Article 6 as regards aspects of Mr. Morris's trial by court martial in 1997, namely the potential for undue external influence over certain members of the court martial panel; and the procedures involving non-judicial authorities in the review of court martial findings and sentences. We are assessing the implications of these aspects of the judgment.

Middle East

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the state of readiness is of the armed forces for an engagement in the middle east; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The Strategic Defence Review recognised that our national interests were directly affected by events in the middle east. Most recently, the deployment of our armed forces to Oman for exercise Saif Sareea II illustrated both our commitment to the region and ability to project military power and sustain it there.
	We have taken no decisions to heighten the readiness of our armed forces elsewhere in the region.

Procurement

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of Government procurement and support on the defence industry and employment among subcontractors in the north-west.

Lewis Moonie: In 1998–99, around £1.2 billion or some 14.5 per cent. of total defence equipment expenditure was placed with companies in the north-west, sustaining an estimated 11,000 jobs. This figure reflects jobs which arise directly from equipment contracts placed by the Ministry of Defence. In addition, work will have been placed with suppliers in the north-west on a sub-contract basis, but regional estimates for sub-contracting are not maintained.

Defence Procurement Agency

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the savings made by the review of support arrangements in the Defence Procurement Agency.

Lewis Moonie: The Defence Procurement Agency's operating cost reduction target and achievement are recorded in its Annual Report (HC 243). The cost reduction in 2000–01 was 10.6 per cent., a saving of £29.7 million.

Marine Services Royal Maritime Auxiliary

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if STC W95 applies as the international standard for staff within the Marine Services Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Although not a requirement in Marine Service Officers and Crews Terms and Conditions, the Ministry of Defence applies the industry standard, STCW 95, to the maritime operations conducted by the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service. Trade unions have supported the retraining and qualification of their members to this industry standard since the mid-90s.

Bloody Sunday

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions were issued to members of the Parachute Regiment concerning off duty activities on the weekend of the thirtieth anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the commemorative march on 27 January; and what instructions were given to the Parachute Regiment regarding military memorabilia.

Adam Ingram: No instructions were issued to members of the Parachute Regiment concerning off duty activities on the weekend of the thirtieth anniversary of Bloody Sunday or regarding military memorabilia. We are not aware of any commemorative march taking place on 27 January 2002.

Efficiency Measures

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings the Royal Air Force has achieved by reducing the number of postings that require a domestic move.

Adam Ingram: During financial year 2001–02 the Royal Air Force has reduced the number of planned postings that require a domestic move by 500. This is estimated to have saved approximately £0.5 million.

Efficiency Measures

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings have accrued from the introduction of flexible working practices for dock workers.

Adam Ingram: A scheme of "Annualised Hours" was introduced at HMNB Devonport in 1999 to establish a group of flexible, multi-skilled workers at the waterfront, who would fulfil an annual working hours requirement rather than the standard 37 hours per week, on a fixed schedule. Annual savings achieved are estimated to have been in the region of £200,000 to £300,000.

Territorial Army

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for the future of the Millbay Territorial Army Centre in Plymouth; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: As part of the Strategic Defence Review Territorial Army restructuring process we decided to close the Millbay Territorial Army Centre (TAC) in Plymouth and relocate the units there to the other TAC in Plymouth at Derriford.
	We have now reviewed those plans in the light of the estimated cost of the move and the impact that the closure of the Millbay TAC would have on the ability of the TA to recruit and retain personnel in Plymouth. I am pleased to say that, as a result of this review, I have decided that Millbay TAC should remain open. This is excellent news for the city of Plymouth and will allow it to retain a modern TAC. By keeping both TACs open we also aim to enhance the visibility of the TA with the general public and improve recruiting opportunities.

Press and Public Relations

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the annual budget for communications activities, including press, public relations, marketing and internal communications, was for his Department for each financial year from 1997–98 to 2001–02.

Lewis Moonie: Details on central Ministry of Defence expenditure on advertising and publicity, which incorporates press, public relations, marketing and internal communications are contained in the annual MOD performance reports. For 1997–98, the information is shown on page 49 Cm 4170; for 1999–2000 the information is shown on page 60 Cm 5000; for 2000–01 the information is shown on page 68 Cm 5290.
	Copies of these reports are available in the House.
	The figures for 1998–99 were not provided in the annual performance report. They are as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			 Category Expenditure 
		
		
			 Recruitment  
			 Royal Navy/Royal Fleet Auxiliary 6.65 
			 Army 11.77 
			 Royal Air Force 10.17 
			 Civilian 3.27 
			   
			 PR, marketing, and business support services 0.84 
			 Chief of public relations expenditure 2.39 
			 Sales promotion 1.06 
			 Scholarships 0.38 
			 National Employers Liaison Committee(3)  
		
	
	(3) Territorial Army
	The expenditure for advertising and publicity is spread among many different budgets, and budget holders. The Ministry of Defence thus does not have a central advertising and publicity budget, and forecast information—in this case for financial year 2001–02—can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, as in recent years, information on the outturn figure is collated, and expected to be included in the 2001–02 performance report, when that document is published.
	The figures relate to programme expenditure. Running cost data (e.g. staff salary costs) for the subject headings are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, running cost data are available for the Chief of Public Relations expenditure heading—which covers the cost of Director General Corporate Communications and his staff. These figures are as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			 Year Expenditure 
		
		
			 1997–98 n/a 
			 1998–99 (4)3.77 
			 1999–2000 (4)4.03 
			 2000–01 5.92 
			 2001–02 (5)6.30 
		
	
	(4) Allocation
	(5) Forecast expenditure

Training

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on military training areas in the UK, with particular reference to (a) their uses and (b) their value for large training operations.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence has 172 training area and range sites in the UK, the tenure of which is either freehold, leasehold or licensed land. They are used for a wide variety of Army training but fall into one of the following three categories:
	Dry training (training without the use of live ammunition although blank ammunition and pyrotechnics may be used);
	Field firing (training with the use of live ammunition);
	Fixed ranges (such as small arms ranges).
	The UK training areas can accommodate training up to unit level (Battalion/Regiment—approximately 1,000 personnel and 200 vehicles) but formation (Brigade—approximately 5,000 personnel and 1,300 vehicles, or Divisional—approximately 25,000 personnel and 7,000 vehicles) level training has to be tailored to the respective area. In the case of mechanised and armoured formations (formations equipped with wheeled and tracked armoured vehicles), their training is usually conducted overseas. Light role formations can exercise in the UK with careful planning.
	The RAF maintains five Air Weapons Ranges and an Electronic Air Weapons Range, which enable aircrew to practice weapons delivery techniques. These are not generally suitable for large numbers of aircraft. The Royal Navy has training areas used as offshore gunnery ranges. DERA also utilises ranges for test and evaluation purposes.

Competitive Procurement Policy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect the creation of the Towers of Excellence programme has had on his Department's competitive procurement policy; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Competition remains the cornerstone of the Ministry of Defence's procurement policy. It will continue to be the primary means of securing value for money in the equipment programme. By generating technological capabilities within MOD's defence equipment supplier base, Towers of Excellence should enable industry to compete more effectively. This will not alter MOD's competition policy; in particular, deciding best overall value for money within competition has always included the consideration of wider factors, including the health of our defence technology base.

Competitive Procurement Policy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect the creation of the Towers of Excellence programme has had on the United Kingdom defence industries competitive position in relation to other international contractors; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Towers of Excellence (ToE) are an important aspect of the continuing close engagement between Ministry of Defence and industry. This strategy will focus our limited research programme funds on those areas where UK industry can excel, and where MOD requires high value technology to be available to feed into potential future equipment products. The ToE programme therefore has the potential to help reinforce UK industry's comparative advantage in these areas, and improve its competitive position both for future MOD projects and for the wider global export market.
	The ToE concept is already at an advanced stage of preparation for launch, and it is expected the first batch of Towers will be launched on a formal basis in the near future.

Non-competitive Procurement Report

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to reply to the National Audit Office report entitled 'Non-Competitive Procurement in the Ministry of Defence'.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence Accounting Officer and officials were examined by the Committee of Public Accounts on 14 November 2001, based on the National Audit Office report on 'Non-Competitive Procurement', which was published on 2 November 2001. When the Committee reports, we shall consider and reply to it in the normal way.

Public-Private Partnerships (Consultants)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total external spending by his Department was on public private partnership consultants in each of the last four years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PPP consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by his Department over this period; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mr. Ingram), on 6 February 2002, Official Report, column 999W.

Postings Abroad

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to implement a system of notifying housing staff of service personnel's postings abroad; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence is currently investigating ways to simplify and streamline the relocation process for Service personnel when they are posted from one location to another; a key element of this is to improve the flow of posting information between the Service posting authorities, Service units and the housing organisations. As part of this work we are investigating the feasibility or providing relevant posting data directly to the housing organisations. Minor changes to the procedure in Great Britain (GB) for applying for family accommodation will enable the Defence Housing Executive to take a more proactive approach by contacting personnel up to six months prior to their anticipated end of tour date to ascertain their intentions and requirements. Other housing providers (outside GB) will consider their application and allocation procedures once the GB model has been refined.
	Service personnel being posted abroad, and those returning from overseas postings, will benefit from these improvements.

Independent Housing Survey

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what percentage of service families are recorded as content with the standard of their family accommodation according to the Independent Housing Survey; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what is done with the results of the Independent Housing Survey; what plans he has to publish it; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The 2001 Customer Attitude Survey on family housing recorded 67 per cent. of service families being "content" with the general standard of family accommodation. The results of the survey are used to help ensure that resources are best directed to meet the needs of service families. There are currently no plans to publish it.

Gibraltar

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) nature and (b) extent is of the British military presence in Gibraltar.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 26 November 2001, Official Report, column 669W, to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch) and on 11 December 2001, Official Report, column 740W to the hon. Member for North Wiltshire (Mr. Gray).

Gibraltar

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations have been made by Spain to the Government in respect of future British military deployment in Gibraltar.

Adam Ingram: Gibraltar is, and will remain, an important overseas base for the British armed forces. Talks with Spain under the Brussels Process are aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement covering all outstanding issues related to Gibraltar.

Non-governmental Organisations

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 March 2002, Official Report, column 476W, on non-governmental organisations, what information he collates on the funding of non-governmental organisations by his Department, with particular reference to those operating on a regional level; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence makes grants to a small number of non-governmental organisations. No information is routinely collated on their funding, nor is information held on the location of their operations.

Records

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what type of records are destroyed by his Department when they are considered to be of no further administrative use;
	(2)  who made the decision to destroy records relating to the sea disposal of chemical weapons in the Baltic sea after World War 2;
	(3)  who makes the decision to destroy MOD documents when they are considered to be of no further administrative use;
	(4)  for what reason the UK extended the period of the classification of documents relating to the dumping of Axis chemical weapons in the Baltic after World War 2 to 2017.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence and the services create a significant amount of material during the course of business. As a consequence records are initially reviewed locally by those responsible for their creation. Where records are perceived to have no more value they may be destroyed locally. Records thought to have continuing administrative or possible historical value are transferred to the MOD's main archives. They are in due course reviewed by the MOD's staff in a process reflecting the requirements of the Public Records Act, 1958 and 1967.
	I am arranging for a copy of the MOD's historical report on CW sea dumping, details of which were submitted to the Helsinki Commission, to be placed in the Library of the House. The MOD is not familiar with any record, on this subject, closed until 2017. However if the hon. Member would care to provide further details I will look into the matter and write to the hon. Member.

Records

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the extent of dumping of Axis chemical weapons in the Baltic from 1945 to 1947; and what steps he is taking to address the issue.

Lewis Moonie: The United Kingdom, the United States of America, Russia and France undertook dumping of confiscated German chemical munitions into the Baltic and Skagerrak between 1945 and 1947. However, after World War Two, it was the administrative practice to destroy records of sea disposals of munitions, including chemical weapons, when such records were perceived to be of no further administrative use. As a result of this practice, a detailed inventory of all conventional and chemical munitions does not exist. Where relevant British records on this subject do survive, they have been declassified and transferred to the Public Record Office in accordance with the terms of the Public Records Act, 1958 and 1967. We do not have details of the quantity or content of munitions dumped by other nations.
	The consensus of international scientific opinion is that munitions on the seabed present no risk to human health or the marine environment provided they are left undisturbed. While the United Kingdom has no plans to monitor or remove conventional or chemical munitions dumped on the seabed, I am aware that NATO was approached by the Russian Government in 1997 regarding possible cooperation in the monitoring and prevention of leakage of chemicals from the German chemical weapons stocks sunk in the Baltic and Skagerrak after World War Two. Liaison on this issue with the Russian Government is continuing through NATO's Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS), but no decision has yet been reached as to whether NATO will participate in any monitoring or preventative action.

Colerne Airfield

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many redundant hangars at Colerne Airfield have been sold; and how much they raised;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with commercial interests about selling Colerne Airfield and Azinghur Barracks.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The Ministry of Defence has had no discussions with commercial interests about selling Colerne Airfield and Azinghur Barracks.
	The two outlying sites at Colerne contained a total of five redundant hangars. Last year, however, we sold two surplus and outlying sites of hangars at Colerne. The sale achieved £675,000. Currently there are no further surplus hangars on the site.

Colerne Airfield

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many married quarters at Colerne have been sold in the last five years.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The only such disposals recorded in the last five years are twelve surplus family houses at Colerne handed back to Annington Homes Ltd.

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 31 January 2002, Official Report, column 498W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against his Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by his Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Reported cases of theft are held centrally on a summary basis and relate to reported suspicions only. It cannot be assumed therefore that criminal proceedings for theft have or will apply in every case. Every year the Ministry of Defence investigates a significant number of suspected thefts, many of a minor nature. Inevitably, in many instances a suspected perpetrator is not identified or there is insufficient evidence to sustain a prosecution. Where a suspected perpetrator is identified prosecution or internal disciplinary action follows as appropriate. The provision of comprehensive details, including costs incurred and recoveries made, relating to the outcome of such proceedings could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Warships

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether each Royal Navy frigate and destroyer is operational or in refit; and what the period of the current or next refit is in respect of each ship.

Adam Ingram: 26 of the total 32 RN frigates and destroyers are either operational or engaged in preparing for service, trials or training. The remaining six are undergoing a refit or docking period as follows:
	
		
			  Period (weeks) 
		
		
			 Vessel refits  
			 Manchester 89 
			 Liverpool 82 
			 Gloucester 79 
			 Iron Duke 61 
			 Monmouth 66 
			   
			 Docking periods  
			 Marlborough 27 
		
	
	I am withholding details of the next refits for the fleet's frigates and destroyers in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relates to defence, security and international relations. However, in general terms, such refits occur between seven to nine years into a commission with a planned duration, including preparations and trials periods, of between 57 and 79 weeks.

Kosovo

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the outcome was of the local police investigation into the circumstances of the death of Fahir Bici and Avni Dudi on 4 July 1999; what the outcome of the RMP investigation was; how many rounds were discharged by British forces; what communication he has had with the families of the deceased; what compensation has been paid; what the result was of disciplinary hearings; and what notices of orders were issued to the Parachute Regiment relating to circumstances of the incident.

Adam Ingram: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

World War Two Civilian Prisoners (Far East)

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian prisoners of the Japanese in the far east who have received ex-gratia payments under his scheme were (a) diplomatic personnel and (b) dependants of diplomatic personnel.

Lewis Moonie: It is not possible to say how many of those who have received an ex-gratia payment under the scheme I announced on 7 November 2000, Official Report, columns 159–71, were diplomatic personnel or their dependants as this information is not specifically held.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Correspondence

Alan Duncan: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he will respond substantively to the letters of 13 July 2001, 24 July 2001 and 29 January 2002 referring to case Ref No 117550, from the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan).

Michael Wills: The Lord Chancellor has now replied. I am sorry the reply to the hon. Member's letter took some time but it raised a complex point of law on which Counsel's Opinion was sought.

Community Legal Services Partnerships (North-West)

Dave Watts: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action her Department is taking to promote community legal services partnerships in the north-west.

Rosie Winterton: Over the last two years, Ministers have supported community legal service partnerships (CLSP) by attending numerous local events. Most recently I was in Rochdale to speak at the launch of the Rochdale CLSP strategic plan. In February, Baroness Scotland launched the Halton CLSP, bringing the total coverage of partnerships in the north-west to 100 per cent. While in the region, Baroness Scotland also opened a new housing service, being provided through Chester offices of Shelter, and awarded the quality mark to the Cheshire constabulary.
	To promote the concept of partnerships generally, national partners are kept up to date on national developments and regional development activities. All community legal service partnerships (CLSPs) undertake promotional activities as part of their work.

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when she intends to report on the use of third party orders in respect of domestic violence under section 60 of the Family Law Act 1986.

Rosie Winterton: Last November I announced that we would be commissioning a short research project to assess the implications and benefits of introducing third party orders, as provided under section 60 of the Family Law Act 1996.
	The research project was awarded to Dr. Mandy Burton of the university of Leicester on 12 March 2002 and will run from 15 March to 22 September 2002. The research will consider the effectiveness of all civil remedies currently available to survivors of domestic violence. Where any gaps are identified, consideration will be given as to whether or not the implementation of section 60 would fill them.
	The Lord Chancellor and I will consider the findings of the research and announce our response at the earliest opportunity.

Resident Magistrates

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many resident magistrates reside within five miles of the court in which they sit.

Rosie Winterton: A resident magistrate may reside outside the district to which he or she is assigned, as the term means that the magistrate is attached to a petty sessions district. Of the 13 resident magistrates who are assigned to districts, one resides within five miles of the courthouse in the district and another, who is assigned to two adjoining districts, resides within five miles of the courthouse in one of the districts. The other 11 resident magistrates reside more than five miles from the courthouse in the district to which they are assigned. The six remaining resident magistrates operate on a peripatetic basis and are not assigned to a specific district or courthouse.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Flexible Working

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many and what proportion of the staff of his Department are (a) job sharing, (b) term working and (c) engaged in another form of flexible working.

Christopher Leslie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 11 March 2002, Official Report, column 780W. Information on numbers of staff who are term-time workers or engaged in another form of flexible working are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Women's On-line Business Centre

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress with the development of the new website Women's On-Line Business Centre.

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
	SBS are working with their supplier to deliver the Women's On-Line Business Centre during summer 2002.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Short-measure Drinks

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made by her Department of (a) the retail and (b) wholesale cost of beer and cider not served to consumers owing to short measures in the last 12 months.

Patricia Hewitt: I have today announced proposals to strengthen consumer protection against short-measure draught beer and cider. Under the proposals bar staff would have to serve a minimum of 95 per cent. liquid per pint. If consumers are dissatisfied with 95 per cent. they can request a top-up. The Government will work closely with the beer trade to ensure that consumers are fully aware of their rights, including pubs displaying signs that consumers can ask for a top-up at no extra cost if they are dissatisfied with their pint.
	The Department estimates that the total wholesale cost of draft beer and cider not served to consumers owing to short measures amounts to some £130 million a year at 2001 wholesale prices. This is based on sales of 6.6 billion pints a year, taken together with the results of surveys by local authority trading standards departments which show that 20 per cent. of pints were 100 per cent. liquid or more, 60 per cent. were between 95 per cent. and 99 per cent. liquid and 20 per cent. of pints were below 95 per cent. liquid. The retail value of this under-supply will depend on retail prices in particular establishments but will exceed the wholesale value.

Specification Standards (Relaxation)

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evidence she has collated on the relaxation of specification standards for the benefit of some importers.

Patricia Hewitt: Most standards are developed under a voluntary process facilitated by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the content of such standards are determined by business, consumers and other stakeholders. BSI itself is independent of Government, and questions about standards for particular products need to be taken up with BSI rather than my Department.
	Records are not kept by my Department of how such voluntary standards are used.

LNM Holdings

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether her Department was consulted by the Prime Minister regarding the purchase by LNM Holdings of Sidex.

Patricia Hewitt: No.

LNM Holdings

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions took place between her Department and other Government Departments on the British connections of LNM Holdings.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 28 February 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 6 March 2002, Official Report, column 349W.

Universal Bank

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if sub-postmasters/mistresses or staff employed to operate the universal bank in sub-post offices who give advice on services or accounts will be required to register under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

Douglas Alexander: This is essentially a commercial matter for Post Office Ltd. However, my understanding is that sub-postmasters will not be giving financial advice and will not therefore be required to register under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

Universal Bank

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she had with the Post Office on the Universal Bank during the final year that her Department was responsible for the scheme.

Douglas Alexander: Ministers and officials at the Department of Trade and Industry have regular discussions with Consignee on a range of issues, including universal banking services.

Visual Impairment

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the preparations manufacturers have made to include appropriate labelling for blind people on their packaging by 2004, in order to comply with the requirements of the Disabilities Discrimination Act 1999; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans her Department has to publicise the legal responsibility of companies to make sure their products have blind-friendly labelling by 2004 to comply with the requirements of the Disabilities Discrimination Act 1999; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: The 2004 access duties in Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 refer to the physical features of premises. The manufacture and design of goods and product labelling are not covered by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

World Economic Forum

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if she will list meetings held between her Department and HM Treasury concerning the preparations for the World Economic Forum;
	(2)  who is representing the UK at the World Economic Forum conference in New York; what their aims are; and if she will make a statement after their return;
	(3)  what representations she received from British businesses prior to the World Economic Forum conference; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  if she will list meetings she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on preparation for the World Economic Forum; and if she will publish the minutes of these meetings.

Patricia Hewitt: I am in regular contact with representatives from British business to discuss a variety of trade related issues. I am not aware of any specific representations received from British businesses prior to the World Economic Forum. I did however receive invitations from a variety of organisations to meetings, dinners and receptions taking place during the course of the World Economic Forum conference.

Pay Rates

Barbara Follett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average gap is between men's and women's pay in the Stevenage constituency.

Patricia Hewitt: Estimates for the Parliamentary Constituency of Stevenage are not available.
	According to the 2001 New Earnings Survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics, average hourly pay for full-time employees, excluding overtime, in the county of Hertfordshire, was 13.41 for men and 10.96 for women, a pay gap of 2.45.

Pay Rates

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average gap is between men's and women's pay in the Heywood and Middleton constituency.

Patricia Hewitt: Estimates for the Parliamentary Constituency of Heywood and Middleton are not available. According to the 2001 New Earnings Survey, conducted by the Office for National Statistics, average hourly pay for full-time employees, excluding overtime, in the Greater Manchester Metropolitan County, was 11.08 for men and 9.19 for women, a pay gap of 1.89 per hour.

Pay Rates

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average gap between men's and women's pay was in the Leeds, West constituency in (a) 1991 and (b) 2001.

Patricia Hewitt: There is no data on the pay gap for the parliamentary constituency of Leeds, West. Data are available for the local authority of Leeds, albeit only from 1996.
	According to the New Earnings Survey (NES), conducted by the Office for National Statistics, average hourly earnings for full-time employees, excluding overtime, in the Leeds local authority in 1996 was 8.94 for men and 7.18 for women, a pay gap of 1.76.
	In the 2001 NES, average hourly earnings for full-time employees, excluding overtime, in the Leeds local authority, was 11.11 for men and 9.60 for women, a pay gap of 1.51.

Litigation

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases (a) her Department and (b) its agencies have defended in (i) industrial tribunals and (ii) the courts in each year since 1997; how many were concluded in their favour; and what the total cost to his Department of litigation was in each year.

Alan Johnson: The information is not kept in a readily available form and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Congestion Charge (Consignia)

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 28 February, Ref. 37817, on the London congestion charge, for what reason she has not made an assessment of the effect that the proposed change would have on Consignia.

Douglas Alexander: Any such assessment would be for Consignia plc.

Beer and Cider

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will publish the conclusion of the Measures of Draught Beer and Cider: Consultation Paper on proposed legislative changes under the Weights and Measures Act 1985.

Patricia Hewitt: Currently, one pint of draught beer in five contains less than 95 per cent. liquid. The licensed trade's own voluntary guidelines recommend that a pint should not be less than 95 per cent. liquid, and that top-ups should be given if requested. But under existing laws trading standards officers can only act if beer drinkers are short-measured by at least 10 per cent.
	Under proposals published today by my Department, bar staff will have to serve beer drinkers a minimum of 95 per cent. liquid in a pint, which is equivalent to an extra 60 million pints a year. Landlords who ignore the new regulations would be liable to prosecution for short-measure and would face 1,000 fines. Persistent offenders would run the risk of losing their licence.
	The Department has consulted widely with all the relevant bodies. It will now work closely with the beer trade to ensure that consumers are fully informed of their new rights. This will include pubs clearly displaying signs that consumers can ask for a top-up at no extra cost if they are not satisfied with their pint.
	These proposals strike the right balance between delivering a better deal for consumers without damaging the brewing industry and hitting beer and cider drinkers with higher prices. The cost to the industry of serving 100 per cent. liquid would be 95 million, which would have severe cost implications for smaller pubs with low profit margins.
	The Department will now consult on draft regulations prior to bringing forward legislation and hopes to lay the legislation before the summer recess.

Insolvency Service

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets have been set for the Insolvency Service's hotline for 200203.

Melanie Johnson: There are no targets set for the hotline as regards the number of calls or cases it has to deal with, as it is not possible to predict the number of calls it receives.

Insolvency Service

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the level of staff turnover was in the (a) Insolvency Service and (b) Hotline team in each year since 1997 (i) including and (ii) excluding temporary staff.

Melanie Johnson: The turnover of staff employed by the Insolvency Service in each of the calendar years 19972001 was as follows:
	
		Percentage 
		
			   All staff 
		
		
			 1997 13.9 
			 1998 11.9 
			 1999 12.8 
			 2000 11.6 
			 2001 13.8 
		
	
	Since the inception of the Hotline in January 1998 only two people have left the team; one on promotion in 1999 and one on maternity leave in 2000.

Age Discrimination

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's policy is towards age discrimination.

Patricia Hewitt: As an equal opportunities employer, my Department aims to be fair to everyone and ensure that no eligible job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age. For example internal job applicants are not required to give details of their age nor does age appear on staff appraisal reports. The Department regularly monitors its personnel procedures, including by age, to identify any potential discrimination.

Departmental Objectives

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will review the objectives of her Department.

Patricia Hewitt: I announced in November last year, on 22 November 2001, Official Report, column 397W, a series of reforms to focus my Department's objectives more sharply in driving up UK productivity and competitiveness. Those reforms are now being implemented, and the Department's objectives are also being reviewed in the context of the 2002 Spending Review.
	My Department's current objectives, activities and expenditure can be found on website http://www.dti.gov.uk/ about/index.htm.

Fishing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 152W, for what reason the limit for compensation is measured in imperial miles; and whether Working Man's Bank off Faroes is within 200 (a) imperial and (b) nautical miles.

Nigel Griffiths: The area within 200 imperial miles of the Icelandic coast was selected as a convenient and identifiable area that accorded with the policy aim of the scheme to compensate former Icelandic water trawlermen following consultation with their leaders. Working Man's Bank is both within 200 imperial miles and within 200 nautical miles of the Icelandic coast.

Fishing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 152W, on fishing, when this was (a) decided and (b) announced.

Nigel Griffiths: The limitation of eligibility under the scheme to former trawlermen who served on vessels that fished within 200 miles of the Icelandic coast was a feature of the rules of the scheme when they were first drawn up and consulted upon with the former trawlermen's leaders. It was always the intention that miles refer to imperial miles rather than nautical, so no specific announcement was made in that regard.

Mobile Telephone Masts

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will place in the Library a copy of the Mobile Phone Base Stations Audit 2001 carried out by the Radiocommunications Agency.

Douglas Alexander: Yes. I am arranging for this to be done.

Gender Issues

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  which women's organisations have been consulted on proposed legislation by her Department during the (a) 200001 and (b) 200102 parliamentary Sessions; and if their responses have been published;
	(2)  if she will list the subject of each gender impact assessment drawn up by her Department since June 1997, indicating in each case whether the outcome has been (a) put out to consultation and (b) published;
	(3)  what new data series broken down by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by her Department since August 1997.

Patricia Hewitt: The Department is undertaking a wide range of work looking at gender issues in particular sectors of the Department's business. We have commissioned research, consulted widely and published the outcomes on issues such as work and parents, flexible working, the national minimum wage, employment tribunals, women's employment and pay, work-life balance, fixed-term work, women entrepreneurs and issues surrounding women in science and IT.
	My Department regularly consults with the Office for National Statistics and other government departments ensuring that data series provided by regular surveys such as the Labour Force Survey (LFS) provide us with opportunities for analyses by gender, race, disability and age. For example, we have recently published an analysis of women's scientific employment, also broken down by age (available on www2.set4women.gov.uk/set4women/ return/feedback.htm). In addition, services such as Business Link routinely capture detailed client characteristics, including gender and ethnicity.
	My Department's policy is to consult widely and appropriately on its proposed legislation, using a variety of methods targeted to reach different stakeholders and audiences, including women's organisations. For example, we involved the Equal Opportunities Commission and Parents at Work in the Work and Parents Taskforce (which reported last year) as well as business and the trades unions.

Yusufeli Dam

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the social and environmental impact of the Yusufeli Dam project in Turkey on surrounding areas.

Patricia Hewitt: ECGD has been reviewing the preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) produced by the Turkish authorities for the Yusufeli Dam project. A number of questions relating to the social and environmental impact of the project have been raised by the export credit agencies involved. However AMECthe UK contractor for the projecthas recently announced that for purely commercial reasons they have decided to withdraw from the project. ECGD therefore has no longer any reason to continue its consideration.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the public service agreement targets which have been revised and those which have been introduced since the publication of the 2001 departmental report.

Patricia Hewitt: The 2001 Expenditure Plans Report (Cm 5112) includes two sets of public service agreement targets, comprising twelve targets each, to cover the Comprehensive Spending Review period (199902) and the Spending Review 2000 period (200104). No targets from either set have been revised since the publication of the report, nor have any new targets been introduced.

Public-private Partnerships (Consultants)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total external spending by her Department was on public-private partnership consultants in each of the last four years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PPP consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by her Department over this period; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: The Department has spent the following sums on consultants in relation to the potential PPP for BNFL in the last four years.
	
		
			   Number of consultancy firms used in each year 
		
		
			 199899 100,000 1 
			 19992000 3,500,000 7 
			 200001 7,000,000 7 
			 2001 5,000,000(6) 9 
		
	
	(6) Forecast
	Other information on the number of full-time equivalent consultants used and other consultancy costs can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Regional Assistance Grant

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total amount of regional assistance grant to industry in (a) the Buckingham constituency, (b) each constituency in the south-east of England and (c) the average per constituency in each year since 1992.

Alan Johnson: (a) Nilthe Buckingham constituency is not within an Assisted Area or Enterprise Grant Zone;
	(b) Regional Selective Assistance Grant for each parliamentary constituency in the south-east of England in each year since 1992 is set out in the tables, and includes;
	(c) the average per constituency:
	
		Regional selective assistance grant awarded from 1992 to 2001
		
			 Constituency Number of grants Total amount () Average per constituency () 
		
		
			 1992 (7) (7) (7) 
			 
			 1993
			 Faversham 2 36,500 18,250 
			 
			 1994
			 Bexhill and Battle 1 40,000 40,000 
			 Dover 3 80,570 26,856 
			 Faversham 12 497,770 41,480 
			 Folkestone and Hythe 3 140,000 46,666 
			 Hastings and Rye 5 163,912 32,782 
			 Isle of Wight 10 579,529 57,952 
			 North Thanet 1 650,000 650,000 
			 South Thanet 10 733,200 73,320 
			 
			 1995
			 Bexhill and Battle 5 182,000 36,400 
			 Dover 4 232,750 58,187 
			 Faversham 15 831,000 55,400 
			 Folkestone and Hythe 6 359,200 59,866 
			 Gillingham 1 750,000 750,000 
			 Hastings and Rye 14 449,000 32,071 
			 Isle of Wight 12 861,100 71,758 
			 North Thanet 15 1,367,200 91,146 
			 South Thanet 15 921,612 61,440 
			 
			 1996
			 Bexhill and Battle 7 1,033,900 147,700 
			 Dover 9 1,779,000 197,666 
			 Faversham 7 805,000 115,000 
			 Folkestone and Hythe 6 1,106,590 184,431 
			 Hastings and Rye 7 430,000 61,428 
			 Isle of Wight 16 591,500 36,968 
			 North Thanet 16 2,655,500 165,968 
			 South Thanet 17 4,819,348 283,491 
			 
			 1997
			 Bexhill and Battle 2 17,250 8,625 
			 Dover 4 130,000 32,500 
			 Faversham 7 513,000 73,285 
			 Folkestone and Hythe 5 236,000 47,200 
			 Hastings and Rye 6 282,000 47,000 
			 Isle of Wight 10 257,750 25,775 
			 North Thanet 8 405,600 50,700 
			 South Thanet 14 3,642,000 260,142 
			 
			 1998
			 Bexhill and Battle 1 7,000 7,000 
			 Faversham 10 270,500 27,050 
			 Folkestone and Hythe 4 327,500 81,875 
			 Hastings and Rye 4 238,000 59,500 
			 Isle of Wight 5 727,000 145,400 
			 North Thanet 8 560,400 70,050 
			 South Thanet 11 2,896,000 263,272 
			 
			 1999
			 Bexhill and Battle 1 97,000 97,000 
			 Canterbury 1 12,000 12,000 
			 Dover 6 110,500 18,416 
			 Faversham 12 592,100 49,341 
			 Folkestone and Hythe 3 86,000 28,666 
			 Hastings and Rye 4 226,500 56,625 
			 Isle of Wight 8 1,350,000 168,750 
			 North Thanet 4 391,000 97,750 
			 South Thanet 10 598,500 59,850 
			 
			 2000
			 Bexhill and Battle 3 93,000 31,000 
			 Brighton Kemptown 1 660,000 660,000 
			 Brighton Pavilion 1 95,000 95,000 
			 Dover 3 1,051,160 350,386 
			 Folkestone and Hythe 4 369,000 92,250 
			 Hastings and Rye 4 150,500 37,625 
			 Isle of Wight 5 1,171,700 234,340 
			 North Thanet 4 325,000 81,250 
			 South Thanet 7 308,200 44,028 
			 
			 2001
			 Dover 1 100,000 100,000 
			 Faversham 1 75,000 75,000 
			 North Thanet 4 2,260,000 565,000 
			 South Thanet 1 5,000,000 5,000,000 
		
	
	(7) No Grants awarded
	Enterprise grants for each parliamentary constituency in the south-east of England in each year since 1992 are set out in the table:
	
		Enterprise grants awarded from 1999 to 2001
		
			 Constituency Number of Grants Total amount () Average per constituency () 
		
		
			 1999 (8) (8) (8) 
			 
			 2000
			 Faversham 3 100,250 33,416 
			 Hastings and Rye 2 26,800 13,400 
			 Isle of Wight 1 55,000 55,000 
			 Lewes 2 100,900 50,450 
			 North Thanet 3 105,950 35,316 
			 South Thanet 3 116,900 38,966 
			 
			 2001
			 Bexhill and Battle 2 98,500 49,250 
			 Canterbury 2 89,250 44,625 
			 Dartford 1 16,500 16,500 
			 Dover 2 20,950 10,475 
			 Faversham 10 330,850 33,085 
			 Folkestone and Hythe 3 92,654 30,884 
			 Gillingham 1 72,000 72,000 
			 Hastings and Rye 3 175,350 58,450 
			 Hove 3 104,700 34,900 
			 Isle of Wight 14 239,675 17,119 
			 Lewes 3 136,949 45,649 
			 Maidstone 1 60,150 60,150 
			 Medway 5 149,420 29,884 
			 Mid Kent 1 28,800 28,800 
			 North Thanet 1 36,000 36,000 
			 Portsmouth North 3 24,150 8,050 
			 Portsmouth South 2 35,437 17,718 
			 South Thanet 1 27,000 27,000 
		
	
	(8) No grants awarded.
	In the south-east region only the following constituencies are eligible for regional assistance:
	Ashford, Bexhill and Battle, Brighton Kemptown, Brighton Pavilion, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Faversham, Folkestone and Hythe, Gillingham, Gravesham, Hastings and Rye, Hove, Isle of Wight, Lewes, Maidstone, Medway, Mid Kent, North Thanet, Portsmouth, North, Portsmouth, South, Shoreham, South Thanet, Tonbridge and Malling.
	Figures have been supplied only for these constituencies and where a grant has been given.
	The following constituencies have received no grant:
	RSA: Medway, Tonbridge and Malling
	Enterprise Grant: Ashford, Brighton Pavilion, Gravesham, Shoreham.
	Average figures have been calculated on a simple arithmetic basis.

Departmental Functions

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the functions of her Department that have been (a) market tested and (b) out-sourced in each of the last five years, specifying the (i) money saving and (ii) percentage saving in each case.

Patricia Hewitt: No departmental functions were market tested and out-sourced during the last five years.
	However, in that period, a number of contracts let as a result of previous market tests have been re-tendered.

Research Council

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the outcome was of the Research Council held in Brussels on 11 March; what the Government's stance was on each issue discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: The Research Council of 11 March 2002:
	1. Held an orientation debate on the rules of participation and the specific programmes for the Sixth EU Research Framework Programme 200206 and Sixth EURATOM Framework Programme 200206.
	2. Received an oral presentation by the commission on its proposal for a negotiating mandate to discuss a framework agreement with the European Space Agency.
	3. Received an oral presentation by the commission on its proposal to amend the negotiating mandate on the legal aspects of a possible ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), in order to include possible site offers for ITER in Europe and cost sharing provisions.
	4. Received a presentation by the commission of its proposed action plan for Biotechnology and Life Sciences in Europe.
	5. Under other business, the commission gave a brief update on the work of the expert group on bioterrorism.
	6. There were no votes at this council.

Transmission Grid

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the scope is of the new study into the transmission grid between Scotland and the rest of the UK; when it will report; and if its conclusions will form part of the Energy White Paper.

Brian Wilson: I shall shortly be meeting representatives of the three UK transmission asset owners (The National Grid Company, Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern) as well as the Scottish Executive and Ofgem in order to discuss these issues. My expectation is that work will be taken forward quickly and that it will inform the Energy White Paper.

Transmission Grid

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on building a meshed grid following the publication of the concept study on the Western Offshore Transmission Grid.

Brian Wilson: The recently published PB POWER report endorsed the option of an offshore hvdc link either as means of the bulk transfer of renewable energy to a suitable point on the existing transmission system, or as a means of addressing existing transmission constraints.
	The report also recommended that a more detailed investigation of the feasibility of such a link should be part of a more general review of transmission system needs. My Department is considering the best way to take this work forward in conjunction with the UK transmission asset owners (National Grid Company, Scottish Power and Scottish  Southern).

UK Compensation Monitoring Group

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her recent meeting with the UK compensation monitoring group.

Brian Wilson: I met the Ministerial Monitoring Group on 6 March. The main points covered were the significant increases since October 2001 in numbers of full and final offers made in relation to respiratory disease. It was also noted that the Department is working closely with the Claimants' Solicitors to ensure that offers are being translated quickly into settlements. The issue of ensuring priority for oldest and sickest claimants was discussed.
	In relation to VWF, the cut-off date of 31 October for the scheme was noted, following an announcement by the Department earlier that week. I emphasised that this message should be circulated as widely as possible.

Perkins, Shrewsbury

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the assistance available through Advantage West Midlands to mitigate the effect of the 500 redundancies at Perkins in Shrewsbury.

Alan Johnson: The situation at Perkins is, potentially, very damaging for the company, its employees, Shrewsbury and the surrounding area, and the Government are treating it with the seriousness it deserves. As the hon. Member knows, I met with representatives of management and unions from the company on Monday March 11, to explore ways of mitigating the effects of any redundancies.
	Perkins are now looking at ways of saving some jobs on the site and extending production beyond the end of 2002. For the time being, the number and type of jobs that will be lost is not clear. The type of activity the company hopes to continue and the type of support they will request is also not clear.
	For that reason it is currently not possible to say what support can be offered to Perkins through Advantage West Midlands, or through other Government funded agencies in the locality.
	However, a task force has been convened to look at the implications for the area and to offer as much coordinated advice and help as possible. Management and unions from the site are members, and the Government are represented through the Government Office for the West Midlands. Advantage West Midlands is a key member and other members include both Local Authorities covering the area, the Employment Service, the SBS and the local Learning and Skills Council. A key function of the task group, set out in their terms of reference, is to identify all the potential sources of funding available and to develop a coordinated response to the needs of the company, the town and the surrounding areas.

Quality Mark

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how many inquiries have been made to the construction Quality Mark register telephone line since its launch; and how many hits have been made on the Quality Mark website since its launch;
	(2)  if an estimate has been made of the cost of expanding the construction Quality Mark scheme to cover the whole country;
	(3)  when her Department will publish the findings of the review of the construction Quality Mark Scheme;
	(4)  how many builders have gained the construction Quality Mark in the pilot projects in Birmingham and Somerset.

Brian Wilson: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer on 12 March 2002, Official Report, column 891W. 154 companies have now achieved the Quality Mark.

TRIPS

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the outcome of the last TRIPS Council meeting on 5 March.

Patricia Hewitt: The TRIPS Council began work on the issues remitted to it at the Doha WTO Ministerial Conference in November last year. These include TRIPS and its relationship with public health, patentability of plants and animals, biodiversity, traditional knowledge, a review of the TRIPS Agreement and incentives for transfer of technology.
	The TRIPS Council also began work on a multilateral registration system for geographical indications for wines and spirits for completion by the Fifth Ministerial Conference in 2003, as required by Ministers at Doha.

Employment Legislation

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she proposes to take to reduce the administrative demands on employers of UK and EU employment legislation.

Alan Johnson: The Government want the UK to be the best place in the world to do business. To help achieve this we will eliminate unnecessary regulation and minimise the burdens imposed by regulation that is necessary. We have significantly strengthened the systems that control the regulatory burden. The Government have established the Better Regulation Task Force and the Ministerial Panel for Regulatory Accountability, appointed Ministers for Regulatory Reform in the main regulating Departments, and set up the Small Business Service to ensure that regulations do not impose unnecessary burdens.
	In February we published the Regulatory Reform Action Plansetting out proposals for better regulation and reform across Whitehall, local government and health authorities. The plan brings together in one document over 250 proposals for changesome already announced, some entirely new proposalsrepresenting snapshot of reform plans at start of 2002. These will benefit businesses, charities and the voluntary sector. It represents a good beginning, but Government will continue working to identify and bring forward proposals to reduce the overall regulatory burden.
	The Government are working to ensure that similar disciplines and procedures are in place at European Union level. In particular we want to see an early and full implementation by the commission of the recommendations of the Mandelkern Report on Better Regulation. This report was produced by a high level group of experts from all 15 EU member states and makes recommendations on alternatives to regulation, impact assessment, consultation, simplification, access to regulation, structures and implementation.
	The Government are encouraging the European Commission, European Parliament and other member states to implement these recommendations. We look forward to the Commission's Action Plan for Better Regulation, which will be presented to the Seville European Council in June, being based on the Mandelkern report.

Broadband

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the growth in level of (a) internet use and (b) broadband connectivity among small and medium enterprises over the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Douglas Alexander: The Government's Business in the Information Age International Benchmarking Report 2001 (October 2001) assesses the extent to which UK businesses are using information and communications technologies in their operations. The report has been placed in the Libraries of the House. Oftel's report Business use of Internet small and medium business survey contains the broadband connectivity figures.

Broadband

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what international comparators she has identified as an appropriate basis for measuring UK broad band infrastructure roll-out.

Douglas Alexander: The UK Online Annual Report (December 2001) sets out the market performance metrics by which we will measure the UK's standing in the G7 in terms of the competitiveness and extensiveness of the broad band market.

Broadband

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what international comparators she has identified as an appropriate basis for measuring performance of the local-loop unbundling initiative in the UK.

Douglas Alexander: Oftel is working with other European telecoms regulators to collect data relating to local loop unbundling (LLU) across Europe on a consistent basis.

Post Offices

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices there were in Wales in 1997; how many were classified as rural; and how many there are now that are classified as rural.

Douglas Alexander: 965 post offices in Wales were classified as rural according to the latest available figures to the end of December 2001.
	I am informed by Post Office Ltd. that data by country are not available before 1998.

Post Offices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many rural network advisers there are for the Post Office.

Douglas Alexander: I am informed by Post Office Ltd. that there are currently 31 rural transfer advisers.

Pensions

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she proposes to secure equivalence of treatment in respect of pensions on the transfer of an engagement from the public sector to an outside contractor.

Alan Johnson: It has been the policy of successive Governments to ensure that the occupational pension rights of public sector staff are protected on a broadly comparable basis on transfer within the public sector and from the public sector to the private. The Government remain committed to that policy, which is set out in the Treasury note Staff Transfers from Central Government: A Fair Deal for Staff Pensions.

Pensions

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether pensions are treated by her Department as deferred pay in connection with industrial relations and the resolution of disputes.

Alan Johnson: Whether employment law would enable an employee to seek legal redress in respect of a dispute involving a pension will depend upon the nature of the dispute. If the pension forms part of the employee's contract of employment there may be redress through the employment tribunals or civil courts, for example in the form of a breach of contract claim.

Disabled People (Access)

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the number of premises at which the provision access for disabled people would be commercially unviable.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	In order to comply with the physical access duties under Part III of the DDA that come into force in October 2004, service providers will only have to make changes to premises that are reasonable. Several factors are considered in determining reasonableness, including the cost of the adjustments, its practicality, and the service provider's resources. There is no question of unreasonable costs being imposed on businesses.

Disability Discrimination Act

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to extend the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to apply to disabled youngsters on work placements.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	We are considering what amendments should be made to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in the light of the ongoing consultation on the Article 13 Employment Directive, including possible changes in relation to practical work experience.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Advertising

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the publicity and advertising campaigns run by his Department in each of the last four years, specifying the (a) purpose, (b) cost to public funds, (c) number of staff involved and (d) method of evaluation in each case.

Angela Eagle: The campaigns run by the Home Department in the last four years are as follows:
	199798;
	Accelerated Promotion Scheme for Graduates Police Recruitment
	Electoral Registration
	Special Constables
	Fire SafetyChip pan safety pilot
	199899;
	Accelerated Promotion Scheme for Graduates (APSG) Police Recruitment
	Electoral Registration
	Special Constables
	Fire SafetySmoke Alarms
	Crime Partnerships
	19992000;
	APSG Police Recruitment
	Electoral Registration
	Special Constables
	Fire SafetyEscape pilot
	Fire SafetyChip pan safety national
	European Parliamentary Elections
	Passport Agency
	200001;
	Police recruitment
	Vehicle crime reduction
	Fire safety
	Human rights
	Rolling electoral registration and
	Postal voting.
	In answer to sections (a), (b) and (d) I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 25 January 2001, Official Report, column 718W.
	(C) Staff in the Department's Marketing Communications Unit (currently 20) work on the development and management of advertising campaigns and other publicity initiatives. The number of staff involved in each project varies as it progresses, often on a week by week basis.

Police Stations

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the design and construction quality of new police stations.

John Denham: The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) receives grant-in-aid from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in order to fulfil its remit to promote high standards in the design of public buildings. The Home Office, along with other Government Departments, is fully committed to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Better Public Buildings Initiative, and is working with CABE at a practical level in order to achieve excellence in design and construction in the built environment.
	The design and construction of new police stations is the direct responsibility of individual police authorities and is subject to town planning control procedures. The Department is working with CABE and police authorities to support the achievement of better design and construction quality in new police stations.

Relocation Expenses

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on the payment of relocation expenses to staff in his Department.

Angela Eagle: Home Office policy is consistent with section 8 of the Civil Service Management Code which sets out the conditions under which Departments and agencies may provide for the reimbursement of relocation expenses to staff who are subject to permanent and compulsory transfers. Relocation terms must be cost effective compared with the alternatives and the level of reimbursement must reflect the reasonable additional costs necessarily incurred.
	The details of the Department's policy are set out in the Transfer Manual and the Permanent Transfer Guide.

Islamophobia

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further action he is taking to tackle instances of Islamophobia; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The Government are committed to tackling Islamophobia, along with all other forms of religious discrimination.
	The Government are committed to implementing the Article 13 EC Employment Directive outlawing discrimination in employment and training on the grounds of religion by 2 December 2003.
	The Human Rights Act 1998 also provides protection against religious discrimination.
	The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 created new religiously aggravated offences including assaults, threatening behaviour and criminal damage, which carry higher maximum penalties where there is evidence of religious hostility.
	A question on religious identity was included in the 2001 census reflecting the importance of recognising faith identity. When the census results are released they will provide Government with reliable data to help plan and deliver services sensitive to the needs of faith communities.
	The Government favour a comprehensive approach in which education, training and a greater effort to teach more in schools about the diversity of faith will all play an important part.
	The option of a state-supported faith-based education to those from minority faiths is being extended. This will build on the long-standing tradition of church schools and add to the inclusiveness and diversity of the school system, but will not involve the introduction of new policy or legislation.
	In addition, education in citizenship is being introduced within secondary schools from September 2002 so that for the first time, students will be taught as part of the national curriculum about the diversity of identities and cultures in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding.
	Many people of different faiths share common problems in our society today regardless of their religious beliefs and values. The Government support them in their pursuit to eliminate harmful and discriminatory practices.
	Our relations with the Muslim community are extremely important and we will continue to strive to improve them. I hope theylike other faith communitieswill always find in this Government not just a sympathetic ear, but a friend willing to do all it can to make Britain a safe and fulfilling place to live.

Drugs

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has commissioned in the last five years on the role of cannabis as a gateway drug; what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed reclassification of cannabis; what recent representations he has received on resources and manpower directed to the detection, arrest and charging of drug dealers; and what plans he has to seek to amend the sentencing powers relating to convicted drug dealers.

Bob Ainsworth: On 23 October last year, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to review the scientific literature on cannabis, including the so-called gateway effect. The Government have commissioned no separate research of their own.
	In assessing the impact of the reclassification of cannabis, the Home Secretary has said that he intends to consider the independent evaluation of the Lambeth cannabis policing pilot and take account of the findings and recommendations of the current Home Affairs Select Committee Inquiry, which has taken a range of evidence on the issues.
	A new sentencing option for the courts in respect of convicted drug traffickers, Travel Restriction Orders, will come into force on 1 April 2002. Travel Restriction Orders will give the courts the powers in some circumstances to prevent the overseas travel of a convicted drug trafficker following his or her release from prison.

Drugs

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1985 and 2001 for supplying anabolic steroids in each of the last 10 years.

Bob Ainsworth: The available statistics, held on the Home Office Court Proceedings database, show that there was one prosecution for supplying or offering to supply anabolic steroids in England and Wales in each of the years 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 and three in 1997.
	The anabolic steroids were not controlled until September 1996.
	Statistics for 2001 will be available in the autumn.

Prison Service

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has applied for additional funding from contingency reserves in order to meet increased expenditure resulting from the Prison Service pay review; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: No application has been made for additional funding from contingency reserves. It is intended that the cost of the Prison Service pay review be met from within existing departmental expenditure limits. Proposals to enable this are still under consideration.

Young Offenders Institution (Aylesbury)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if sprinkler systems have been installed at HM YOI Aylesbury.

Beverley Hughes: In line with current policy sprinkler systems have not been installed in any part of Aylesbury young offenders institution. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has called for a review of fire safety precautions and the use of sprinklers in young offenders institutions, adult prisons and detention centres.

Probation Arrangements (Tenders)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requests he has received to tender for probation facilities arrangements from in-house applicants; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: A report was received from London Probation Area (LPA) which included the proposal that LPA or a consortium of probation areas could run the estates and facilities management services for part of the probation estate. Following legal and procurement advice, it was determined that this request could not be considered as an in-house bid.

Yarl's Wood

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the terms of reference are for the investigations into the disturbances at Yarl's Wood; if the findings will be made public; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The terms of reference for the inquiry being conducted by Stephen Moore are:
	To inquire into the events at Yarl's Wood Removal Centre on the night of 1415 February 2002 and their causes and to make recommendations designed to minimise the risk of recurrence on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) custodial estate in relation to contracts and agreements with service providers, the operation of removal centres, building design and construction, and any other matters considered relevant.
	The inquiry will take full account of the inquiries being undertaken by Bedfordshire Police, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Group 4, and will be conducted in a way which does not impede any criminal investigation. In addition, the inquiry will have available expert advice from Her Majesty's Prison Service on matters to do with the above matters.
	The findings of the inquiry will be published.

Crime (Licensed Premises)

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has on (a) licensing and (b) policing for night clubs and other licensed premises which are identified as generating problems of crime and disorder.

Bob Ainsworth: We have provided the police with strong new powers to deal with disorderly or excessively noisy licensed premises. Section 17 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, which came into force on 1 December 2001, allows the police to close premises, instantly, for up to 24 hours where such problems are occurring. We expect the powers to have a deterrent effect and lead to a reduction in the incidence of violence and disorder on licensed premises, as well as providing the police with effective powers to deal with problems when they arise.
	The White Paper Time for Reform (Cm 4696), published in April 2000, set out the Government's wider proposals for reforming and modernising licensing law. The proposals included a new graduated system of sanctions penalising licensees who failed to comply with licence conditions relating to crime and disorder and other matters. The Government intend to bring forward legislation to implement the White Paper proposals as soon as parliamentary time permits.

Crime (Licensed Premises)

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is towards enabling police services to charge night clubs and bar proprietors for additional policing costs associated with their premises.

Bob Ainsworth: We made it clear in the White Paper 'Policing A new Century: A Blueprint for Reform' that we are concerned about the costs incurred in policing entertainment venues, pubs and clubs, and sporting venues where policing demands impact on policing in the area. We are keen to explore how we might encourage and develop arrangements under which entertainment venues make a contribution to the policing and public order costs generated by their activities.

Crime (Licensed Premises)

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the need for new police powers to deal with the problems of crime and disorder associated with night clubs and other licensed premises.

Bob Ainsworth: A package of measures to tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder were included in the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. This includes new police powers to close disorderly or excessively noisy licensed premises, instantly, for up to 24 hours, and a toughening up of the law relating to drunkenness and disorder on licensed premises, and to under-age drinking. Working with the police and others, we shall keep the impact of these new measures, which came into force on 1 December 2001, under review as the basis for determining whether new or additional powers are required to assist the police and others in tackling crime and disorder on licensed premises.

Visas

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the fee payable by Polish citizens applying for British visas was introduced and for what purpose; how much of the fee goes to the Polish Government; and for what reason British citizens are unable to pay for the visa in Britain.

Angela Eagle: For many categories of entry to the United Kingdom, Polish nationals do not require a visa before travel i.e. they are non-visa nationals. However, there are a number of categories for which prior entry clearance is mandatory for all nationals (apart from those exempt from immigration controls). A standard fee applicable world-wide is levied, according to entry category, by visa sections for each application for entry clearance. This is payable in local currency at the time the application is lodged. Administratively this is the most effective way of collecting and reconciling fee income. The entry clearance operation is self-financing and the fee therefore directly relates to the administration costs involved. None of the fee is received by the Polish Government.

Asylum Accommodation Centres

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry) of 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 160W, on asylum seeker accommodation centres, what health facilities will be made available to asylum seekers; and what role (a) local hospitals and (b) other health institutions will be expected to take in the provision of such health care.

Angela Eagle: Asylum seekers will be provided with primary healthcare on site. Any secondary healthcare needs will be provided for at local hospitals or other health institutions.

Asylum Accommodation Centres

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department contacted City of Edinburgh Council to inform them that RAF Turnhouse was being considered as a potential site for an asylum seeker accommodation centre; by what means the information was conveyed; and if he will place the correspondence in the Library.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) on 11 March 2002, Official Report, column 719W. A copy of the original letter will be placed in the Library.

Asylum Accommodation Centres

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the first asylum seeker accommodation centres to be opened.

Angela Eagle: The aim is that the first centre should open as soon as possible, but a date for this to happen has yet to be settled.

Asylum Accommodation Centres

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the transport facilities available for asylum seekers housed in an accommodation centre at Turnhouse in Edinburgh.

Angela Eagle: Transport implications will form a part of the planning process for the trial accommodation centres. We will provide for transport for residents where necessary.

Asylum Accommodation Centres

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry) of 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 160W, on asylum seeker accommodation centres, what purposeful activities he envisages asylum seekers will undertake through volunteering.

Angela Eagle: No final decisions have yet been taken so I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 159W.

Asylum Accommodation Centres

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what freedom asylum seekers who are housed in the proposed new accommodation centres will have to leave the sites.

Angela Eagle: Asylum seekers who are housed in accommodation centres will be subject to residence and reporting requirements but will otherwise be able to come and go.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate, Croydon

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the performance of the 24-hour turnaround postal service for urgent straightforward cases announced in October 1997 for third party users of the IND office in Croydon.

Angela Eagle: The 24-hour turnaround postal service has been subject to regular quarterly reviews since its implementation in 1997. There have been regular user group meetings at which members of the Immigration and Legal Practitioners Association have attended along with a number of the existing users. Both postal recommendations from users and those raised at the user group meetings have been incorporated in subsequent reviews of the service. Any appropriate changes made are intended to reflect the views and wishes of the majority of the existing users.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate, Croydon

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many third party users have taken advantage of the 24-hour turnaround postal service for urgent straightforward cases for third party users of the IND office in Croydon.

Angela Eagle: The 24-hour turnaround postal service operated by the Public Enquiry Office (PEO) of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) based in Croydon currently has 235 registered users of the service.

Illegal Immigrants

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the French authorities about illegal immigrants invading Eurotunnel property; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 14 March 2002
	Illegal immigration through the channel tunnel is a problem shared by France and the United Kingdom (UK) and we are working closely to prevent unauthorised access both to the tunnel and its surrounding areas.
	There have been no large-scale invasions into the Eurotunnel terminal at Coquelles since December 2001 but a number of incursions have recently been made into SNCF's adjoining rail freight yard at Frethun. The Government is extremely concerned about problems over security at the Frethun terminal and the effect this is having on freight traffic and UK businesses and trade.
	My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and the Home Secretary have all raised the problems at Frethun with their French opposite numbers. The French Government have now given a commitment rapidly to increase police presence at the Frethun site. For their part, the SNCF have embarked on a programme for improving security, representing an investment of 3 million, which includes new higher perimeter fencing with anti-intrusion devices, infra-red barriers, surveillance cameras, additional floodlights and a new surveillance post. These improvements aim to provide a similar level of security to that already put in place at the Eurotunnel site following earlier discussions. Joint work on the situation in Northern France and its underlying causes continues at both Ministerial and official level.

Public Figures (Protection)

Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate has been made of the total annual cost to the EU Budget of establishing a European network for the protection of public figures as proposed by the Kingdom of Spain in a draft decision (Brussels 29 January 2002) (S361/02).

Bob Ainsworth: The Spanish Presidency proposal for a council decision on a European Network for the Protection of Public Figures was not accompanied by a financial statement setting out the expected costs. Our own provisional assessment is that the proposal is unlikely to attract significant additional costs. Negotiations on the council decision are at an early stage and we do not expect the proposal to be discussed by Ministers before June 2002. The financial implications will be among the issues addressed by the United Kingdom delegation in the course of negotiations.

Internet (Racist Material)

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further measures he is taking to prevent racist content on the internet.

Angela Eagle: The Government continue to apply the principle that the law should be applied to criminal material on-line as it is to material off-line. The Government condemn those who produce race hate material including those who seek to distribute this material via the internet. The Public Order Act 1986 already deals with a range of material, which is threatening, abusive or insulting and intended or likely to stir up racial hatred and can be applied to material on the internet that falls within our jurisdiction. The Government have strengthened the provisions of the 1986 Act in amendments made by the Anti-terrorism, Crime  Security Act 2001. This means the maximum penalty for those inciting racial hatred has risen from two to seven years' imprisonment. It is also now an offence to incite racial hatred against a racial group abroad. We have asked the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to work together to pool knowledge and experience in the investigation and prosecution of race hate material.
	The Government are working in conjunction with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) who provide a hotline for members of the public who wish to complain about racially inflammatory material they come across on the internet. If the material is potentially criminal the IWF will ask a British internet service provider to remove the material hosted by them.
	The nature of the internet means that individual countries cannot counter this problem in isolation. That is why the United Kingdom is actively involved in discussions in the Council of Europe on a draft protocol to the Cybercrime Convention dealing with racist material on computer networks. The draft protocol, which is being considered by the Council of Europe states with the participation of the United States of America, Canada, Japan and South Africa, is designed to provide more effective judicial cooperation on racially inflammatory material between signatories to the protocol.
	The United Kingdom is also involved in negotiations with our European Union partners on a draft framework decision on racism and xenophobia. The framework decision seeks to provide definitions of criminal racist offences and common penalties and includes draft provisions relating to racist material on the internet originating or hosted in an European Union country.

Anne Robinson

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was to public funds of police protection for Ms Anne Robinson in Cirencester on 16 February; whether this cost was repayable by (a) Ms Robinson and (b) those who had invited her to Cirencester; and whether (i) Ms Robinson and (ii) those who invited her have offered to repay this cost.

John Denham: holding answer 4 March 2002
	I understand from the Chief Constable of Gloucestershire that no specific request was made for police protection by Ms Anne Robinson or the organisers of the pro-hunting event that she attended in Cirencester on 16 February 2002. Gloucestershire police assigned a number of police officers to the event. Gloucestershire Police do not intend to claim costs from either Ms Robinson or the organisers of the event.

Capita

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list contracts awarded by his Department to Capita since 1997, including (a) start and finish date of contract, (b) value of contract, (c) description of work to be carried out, (d) evaluation mechanism for successful delivery of contract, (e) penalty charges for failure to deliver and (f) if penalty charges have been incurred; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 5 March 2002
	The Home Department has four contracts with Capita which are valued at 403 million. This includes a 10 year contract with the Criminal Records Bureau which is estimated to be worth 400 million over the term of the contract.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Civil Servants

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what was the (a) percentage and number of rail journeys undertaken on first class tickets, (b) average cost of a first class journey by rail and (c) total cost of rail travel in each of the past four years broken down by grade of civil servant.

Ivan Lewis: The percentage number and average cost of first class rail travel undertaken in my Department in each of the past four years is as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage first class Number of rail journeys Average cost per ticket  
		
		
			 January to December 2001 80 25,156 135 
			 January to December 2000 76 23,132 125 
			 January to December 1999 74 27,211 95 
			 August to December 1998 76 1,715 117 
		
	
	Information prior to contract start date 1 August 1998 is not available due to different systems in operation.
	The total cost of rail travel broken down by grade of civil servant could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
	Departmental staff have a responsibility to give due consideration to cost when planning any official travel and extensive guidance is provided on how to get the best out of official travel. This guidance covers items such as method of travel, environmental impact and effective use of time.

Science/Engineering Students

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the reasons for the change in acceptances of United Kingdom students to further education engineering courses over the past 10 years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 4 March 2002
	Although there has been a decrease over the past 10 years in total acceptances to engineering courses, those for production engineering, for example, have been broadly maintained, and those for aeronautical engineering courses have increased. This reflects the pace of technological change. The Government have commissioned Sir Gareth Roberts to review the supply of high level science and engineering skills. A report is expected soon.

Pupil:Teacher Ratio

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the pupil to teacher ratio for maintained primary schools was each local education authority from 1979 to date.

Stephen Timms: The required information is readily available for 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994 and each year from 1996 to 2001, and is given in the following table.
	
		Pupil:teacher ratio in maintained primary schools by local education authority area, position in January each year
		
			  2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1994 1989 1984 1979 
		
		
			 England 22.9 23.3 23.5 23.7 23.4 23.2 22.7 22.0 22.2 23.1 
			 Avon(9)  23.3 23.1 23.6 23.9 24.2 
			 Barking 23.6 22.9 23.2 23.1 22.7 22.4 22.1 21.2 21.7 22.3 
			 Barnet 22.2 21.3 21.5 21.4 21.3 20.9 21.0 19.9 19.8 21.5 
			 Barnsley 24.6 25.4 25.6 25.9 25.5 25.0 24.2 22.3 21.1 23.6 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 22.4 22.7 23.3 23.0 22.4  
			 Bedfordshire(9)  23.3 23.0 22.0 21.5 23.5 
			 Bedfordshire(10) 22.9 23.5 23.8 23.8   
			 Berkshire(9) 23.7 23.5 23.3 22.9 23.1 23.0 
			 Bexley 24.5 24.6 24.5 25.3 24.8 24.8 23.5 22.2 24.5 25.1 
			 Birmingham 22.5 22.7 22.7 22.8 22.7 22.7 23.3 23.5 22.9 24.0 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 22.2 23.3 23.4
			 Blackpool 23.7 24.7 25.1
			 Bolton 21.9 22.0 23.7 23.3 23.1 22.8 22.0 22.0 23.8 25.2 
			 Bournemouth 23.3 24.7 24.9 25.7   
			 Bracknell Forest 23.7 24.2 24.2
			 Bradford 21.9 23.1 23.1 23.9 23.0 22.3 21.3 19.6 20.5 20.9 
			 Brent 22.3 22.0 21.9 21.5 21.9 21.7 22.0 21.3 18.3 18.7 
			 Brighton and Hove 21.6 22.6 23.4
			 Bristol, City of 22.5 23.4 23.9 23.3 23.0  
			 Bromley 23.6 24.2 24.3 24.8 24.4 24.6 24.4 23.2 23.4 24.5 
			 Buckinghamshire(9) 23.9 23.6 23.0 24.2 24.3 24.2 
			 Buckinghamshire(10) 22.8 22.8 23.9 24.2   
			 Bury 24.2 24.1 24.4 25.3 24.2 24.0 23.4 21.9 22.8 23.5 
			 Calderdale 22.7 23.0 24.1 24.6 24.3 24.0 23.7 22.6 22.0 23.8 
			 Cambridgeshire(9)24.9 24.4 23.9 23.3 22.8 23.6 23.3 
			 Cambridgeshire(10) 24.1 24.6 25.0
			 Camden 20.9 21.0 20.5 20.2 20.0 20.3 20.5
			 Cheshire(9)23.7 23.8 24.0 23.9 24.1 22.7 23.5 
			 Cheshire(10) 22.9 23.3 23.9
			 City of London 14.7 14.3 14.1 14.3 13.9 13.9 15.0
			 Cleveland(9)  24.1 23.8 22.2 22.1 23.4 
			 Cornwall 22.9 23.6 24.1 24.1 23.7 23.7 23.3 23.1 23.7 24.2 
			 Coventry 22.7 23.1 23.0 23.9 23.6 23.3 22.7 22.4 22.1 22.7 
			 Croydon 23.1 23.2 23.5 23.3 23.0 22.2 21.8 21.2 22.2 23.1 
			 Cumbria 22.0 22.5 23.3 23.3 23.4 23.2 22.5 21.8 21.2 23.1 
			 Darlington 24.5 24.4 25.4 25.2   
			 Derby 23.7 24.2 23.8 25.3   
			 Derbyshire(9) 25.9 25.3 23.3 21.5 22.2 23.8 
			 Derbyshire(10) 24.2 25.2 25.1 26.2   
			 Devon(9)24.6 24.1 24.0 22.9 23.2 23.6 24.3 
			 Devon(10) 23.1 23.5 23.6
			 Doncaster 23.8 24.2 24.7 24.5 24.4 24.3 23.5 21.3 20.7 22.2 
			 Dorset(9) 24.6 23.9 23.4 23.1 23.5 23.7 
			 Dorset(10) 22.7 23.2 23.7 24.2   
			 Dudley 22.2 22.3 22.5 22.7 22.4 22.4 22.5 22.8 22.7 25.5 
			 Durham(9) 24.1 24.0 22.9 22.1 22.7 21.5 
			 Durham(10) 22.2 22.9 23.2 23.7   
			 Ealing 23.1 22.8 22.9 22.8 22.5 22.7 21.3 19.5 19.2 20.4 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 24.7 24.9 25.7 25.5   
			 East Sussex(9) 22.8 22.7 22.3 22.5 22.1 23.4 
			 East Sussex(10) 22.7 22.4 23.8 23.3   
			 Enfield 22.9 22.7 23.2 22.8 23.2 22.6 22.5 21.0 22.8 24.0 
			 Essex(9)23.5 23.0 22.6 22.8 22.5 24.1 24.8 
			 Essex(10) 22.9 23.2 23.5
			 Gateshead 21.4 22.2 22.6 22.5 22.3 22.3 21.6 20.6 18.8 21.2 
			 Gloucestershire 22.3 23.4 23.6 23.7 23.6 23.4 22.5 22.3 22.9 23.4 
			 Greenwich 21.4 21.4 21.9 21.4 21.1 20.9 21.0
			 Hackney 21.8 20.1 19.7 19.6 19.5 19.7 19.9
			 Halton 21.5 22.0 22.7
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 21.1 21.1 21.4 21.0 20.5 20.3 18.9
			 Hampshire(9) 23.0 22.8 22.4 22.3 24.0 24.6 
			 Hampshire(10) 23.0 23.6 23.6 23.6   
			 Haringey 22.8 22.5 21.5 21.8 21.1 21.0 20.4 20.6 18.7 20.9 
			 Harrow 21.9 22.3 21.6 21.5 20.7 20.8 20.5 21.9 20.9 22.1 
			 Hartlepool 23.9 24.6 25.1 26.0 25.2  
			 Havering 23.7 24.2 24.4 24.2 23.8 23.7 23.1 22.4 22.9 23.6 
			 Hereford and Worcester(9)23.9 23.2 23.2 22.2 23.4 25.1 24.2 
			 Herefordshire(10) 22.5 22.8 23.0
			 Hertfordshire 23.0 23.2 23.0 23.0 22.9 22.3 22.2 21.5 22.4 22.5 
			 Hillingdon 24.0 23.1 23.2 23.4 22.6 22.3 22.1 22.0 22.2 23.0 
			 Hounslow 22.2 21.9 22.0 21.8 21.5 21.6 21.1 19.8 19.7 21.9 
			 Humberside(9)  24.7 24.3 22.2 20.9 22.1 
			 Inner London Education Authority18.3 17.3 18.7 
			 Isle of Wight 21.6 22.1 22.4 22.9 22.6 23.2 22.3 22.9 23.6 23.9 
			 Isles of Scilly 14.7 16.6 16.7 14.1 16.9 15.0 14.0 14.1 12.6 15.3 
			 Islington 22.2 21.4 21.6 22.3 21.1 20.9 20.3
			 Kensington and Chelsea 20.6 19.4 19.1 18.4 17.7 17.8 17.7
			 Kent(9)24.2 23.9 23.9 23.9 23.3 23.9 24.3 
			 Kent(10) 23.4 23.7 24.1
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 23.8 24.4 25.6 26.1 25.5  
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 22.6 24.1 24.3 24.1 23.9 23.8 23.5 21.8 22.3 22.1 
			 Kirklees 22.4 22.9 23.3 24.2 23.8 23.3 22.1 20.9 22.5 23.6 
			 Knowsley 23.4 23.8 24.0 24.4 23.8 23.5 23.5 21.0 21.6 23.4 
			 Lambeth 20.8 20.4 20.5 20.4 19.8 18.6 19.1
			 Lancashire(9)24.3 24.4 24.1 23.0 23.5 23.2 24.7 
			 Lancashire(10) 23.6 24.1 24.1
			 Leeds 23.2 23.8 24.2 24.2 24.1 23.9 23.4 19.5 22.7 24.6 
			 Leicester 22.7 22.7 22.6 23.6   
			 Leicestershire(9) 23.5 23.3 22.5 22.8 22.5 23.3 
			 Leicestershire(10) 23.2 23.4 23.6 23.8   
			 Lewisham 21.3 21.5 20.9 20.7 20.6 20.1 21.5
			 Lincolnshire 23.9 24.7 24.6 24.1 23.9 23.6 23.3 23.1 24.1 23.7 
			 Liverpool 22.3 22.7 23.1 23.5 23.6 23.5 23.4 20.9 20.9 21.1 
			 Luton 22.9 22.3 22.6 22.7   
			 Manchester 22.7 24.0 24.6 24.7 23.4 23.0 22.3 21.2 22.7 21.9 
			 Medway 23.4 23.6 24.5
			 Merton 21.9 22.1 22.6 22.0 21.7 21.5 20.2 21.0 22.1 22.2 
			 Middlesbrough 23.4 24.0 24.6 23.7   
			 Milton Keynes 23.3 23.7 24.4 24.3   
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 22.9 23.5 23.2 24.1 23.9 23.8 22.9 20.7 18.4 18.7 
			 Newham 24.5 24.7 25.4 24.4 24.3 23.9 24.3 21.4 20.6 21.4 
			 Norfolk 22.1 22.7 22.7 22.5 22.3 22.3 21.9 22.2 22.3 22.8 
			 North East Lincolnshire 23.4 23.9 24.9 25.9 25.0  
			 North Lincolnshire 23.9 24.2 24.0 25.1 24.6  
			 North Somerset 24.0 24.2 24.4 24.2 23.8  
			 North Tyneside 22.9 23.4 24.1 23.9 23.9 23.9 23.1 20.3 19.2 21.1 
			 North Yorkshire(9)  23.6 22.9 22.0 21.8 22.5 
			 North Yorkshire(10) 22.5 23.4 24.0 24.1 23.5  
			 Northamptonshire 22.9 23.6 24.1 24.0 23.5 23.4 22.6 22.9 22.1 24.4 
			 Northumberland 22.8 23.5 24.1 24.8 24.5 24.6 24.3 22.5 23.3 23.4 
			 Nottingham 22.4 22.8 23.3
			 Nottinghamshire(9)24.9 24.8 24.3 22.9 21.0 21.1 24.7 
			 Nottinghamshire(10) 24.0 24.5 25.0
			 Oldham 23.7 23.8 24.4 24.7 24.4 23.7 22.9 22.0 23.1 25.2 
			 Oxfordshire 22.3 23.3 23.8 24.0 23.6 23.3 21.5 22.7 23.9 24.2 
			 Peterborough 23.0 23.2 24.2
			 Plymouth 23.4 23.8 23.9
			 Poole 23.7 25.3 25.4 25.1   
			 Portsmouth 22.7 23.1 23.5 23.6   
			 Reading 23.2 23.1 23.6
			 Redbridge 23.4 23.3 23.0 23.0 22.9 22.7 22.9 23.0 23.2 24.1 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 24.2 23.7 23.7 24.4 24.3  
			 Richmond upon Thames 21.9 22.5 22.4 22.2 21.7 21.3 20.6 20.6 20.7 22.2 
			 Rochdale 23.7 24.0 24.7 24.6 24.7 24.4 24.3 21.9 22.4 22.9 
			 Rotherham 22.5 23.2 23.8 24.1 24.0 23.2 21.3 21.1 22.0 24.0 
			 Rutland 21.7 21.2 22.1 22.8   
			 Salford 23.3 23.8 24.1 23.9 24.0 23.8 23.7 21.9 21.5 23.5 
			 Sandwell 23.9 24.1 23.5 24.2 24.0 23.7 22.5 21.8 22.6 24.4 
			 Sefton 22.4 23.2 23.4 23.6 23.2 23.2 23.2 23.0 22.6 23.6 
			 Sheffield 23.2 23.2 22.9 23.2 23.3 22.9 22.4 20.9 20.2 21.8 
			 Shropshire(9)24.5 24.4 24.3 23.1 21.5 21.6 23.8 
			 Shropshire(10) 22.8 23.4 24.1
			 Slough 23.0 22.0 22.9
			 Solihull 23.0 23.5 23.6 24.7 24.0 24.1 23.3 22.7 23.0 23.5 
			 Somerset 22.9 23.7 24.3 23.9 23.5 23.2 22.6 22.8 23.8 24.6 
			 South Gloucestershire 23.4 24.0 24.2 24.5 24.2  
			 South Tyneside 21.3 22.2 22.5 23.1 23.4 23.3 23.2 20.7 20.2 20.3 
			 Southampton 22.4 22.7 22.7 23.1   
			 Southend-on-Sea 23.5 23.4 24.0
			 Southwark 22.5 22.5 22.0 22.0 21.8 21.7 22.4
			 St. Helens 22.9 23.2 23.6 23.2 23.3 22.9 22.0 22.4 22.6 23.8 
			 Staffordshire(9) 24.9 24.9 25.1 23.0 22.3 23.2 
			 Staffordshire(10) 23.7 24.3 24.5 25.1   
			 Stockport 23.1 23.4 24.3 24.5 24.0 23.8 23.6 23.3 23.4 26.3 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 23.1 23.3 24.1 24.6 24.2  
			 Stoke-on-Trent 24.3 24.7 25.2 25.4   
			 Suffolk 22.0 22.1 22.0 22.2 22.3 22.3 21.6 22.2 22.1 23.4 
			 Sunderland 22.0 22.3 22.7 22.9 22.8 22.6 22.1 22.0 21.9 23.5 
			 Surrey 22.8 23.2 23.0 22.8 22.3 22.0 21.8 21.0 22.5 21.9 
			 Sutton 22.9 23.1 23.5 23.8 23.9 23.3 24.4 22.0 24.8 24.0 
			 Swindon 24.0 24.2 25.0 25.1   
			 Tameside 23.6 24.1 24.6 25.4 25.4 25.1 24.9 22.5 23.6 24.1 
			 Telford and Wrekin 24.1 24.1 24.3
			 Thurrock 22.8 22.8 23.9
			 Torbay 23.7 24.5 24.9
			 Tower Hamlets 21.7 21.0 21.7 20.8 20.7 19.5 18.0
			 Trafford 23.7 24.1 24.5 24.8 24.7 24.7 24.4 22.1 22.7 22.2 
			 Wakefield 23.8 24.6 24.7 24.8 24.4 24.0 23.1 22.0 21.8 23.3 
			 Walsall 24.1 24.1 24.0 24.5 23.7 23.4 22.4 20.9 20.8 22.6 
			 Waltham Forest 23.0 22.5 22.8 22.4 21.7 21.4 21.9 21.8 20.9 22.4 
			 Wandsworth 21.0 21.1 21.1 21.2 20.5 20.5 19.8
			 Warrington 23.1 23.8 24.2
			 Warwickshire 23.0 23.7 23.7 24.4 24.5 23.6 22.1 21.8 22.5 23.1 
			 West Berkshire 22.5 22.4 23.1
			 West Sussex 22.5 22.7 22.8 22.8 22.7 22.5 22.0 22.8 23.3 24.3 
			 Westminster 20.5 18.9 18.6 19.0 18.6 18.4 17.6
			 Wigan 22.3 22.6 22.9 23.2 23.1 22.9 22.9 21.6 21.4 22.6 
			 Wiltshire(9) 23.5 23.4 22.9 22.5 23.5 23.9 
			 Wiltshire(10) 22.8 23.5 24.0 23.9   
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 22.5 22.6 22.6
			 Wirral 22.3 22.8 23.3 23.7 23.2 23.2 22.6 21.0 22.9 24.2 
			 Wokingham 23.1 24.0 24.3
			 Wolverhampton 22.4 22.7 23.2 23.0 22.4 22.5 21.3 19.8 19.3 21.1 
			 Worcestershire(10) 22.9 23.9 24.2
			 York 22.9 23.3 23.5 24.6 24.3  
		
	
	(9) Before local government reorganisation
	(10) After local government reorganisation
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Veterinary Science (Wales)

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students from Wales study veterinary science in (a) England and (b) Scotland; and how many are Welsh speakers.

Margaret Hodge: The latest available data are shown in the table. Information on the number of these students who are Welsh speakers is not held centrally.
	
		Welsh domiciled students on first degree veterinary science courses 200001
		
			 Location of study Number of students 
		
		
			 England 99 
			 Scotland 24

Medical Schools

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many student places there have been at medical schools in the UK; and how many candidates applied for those places in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 14 March 2002
	The latest available information is shown in the table.
	
		Students applying to pre-clinical medical courses in the UK
		
			   Year of entry:  
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Planned intake 5,020 5,062 5,165 5,595 5,928 
			 Applicants(11) 12,076 11,807 10,972 10,226 10,231 
		
	
	(11) Home and overseas students applying via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

University Students (Complaints System)

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures she is taking to introduce a UK-wide independent complaints system for university students.

Margaret Hodge: Universities UK have consulted the higher education sector on the establishment of an independent reviewer for student complaints once internal procedures have been exhausted. We are currently considering Universities UK's proposals. We wish to introduce an independent complaints system as soon as is practicable.

Educational Qualifications

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of working age people in the constituency of Buckingham hold a qualification at degree level or equivalent or above; and what the national average is.

Margaret Hodge: The latest available figures from the Local Area Labour Force Survey show that, in 200001, 29.8 per cent. of people of working age resident in the constituency of Buckingham held a qualification at degree level or equivalent or above, compared to 23.3 per cent. in Great Britain.

Schools Adjudicator

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what powers she has to overturn a decision by the schools adjudicator where he has ruled that a school cannot increase its intake due to cost and proximity to another equivalent school.

Stephen Timms: Schools adjudicators are independent of the Secretary of State. She has no powers to overturn any decision made by them. Their decisions can be overturned only by the Courts.

Circulars

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the circular documents that have been sent by (a) the Office for Standards in Education, (b) the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and (c) the Teacher Training Authority to (i) primary schools and (ii) secondary schools since 7 June 2001; and how many pages each document contained.

Stephen Timms: Information provided by Ofsted, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Teacher Training Agency is as follows.
	Ofsted
	HMCI's Annual Report, 200001 (sent to all maintained schools in February 2002, 138 pages)
	Key Stage 3 Strategy: Pilot Year 1 (sent to all secondary schools and special schools with secondary-age pupils in January 2002, 32 pages)
	Good Teaching, Effective Departments (sent to all secondary schools in January 2002, 82 pages)
	Improving Inspection, Improving Schools: Consultation Results (sent to all maintained schools in January 2002, 14 pages)
	Providing for Gifted and Talented Children: An Evaluation of Excellence in Cities and other grant-funded programmes (sent to all maintained schools in December 2001, 52 pages)
	Improving Inspection: Letter from HMCI (sent to all maintained schools in December 2001, 2 pages)
	National Numeracy Strategy: Second Year (sent to all maintained schools in December 2001, 40 pages)
	National Literacy Strategy: Third Year (sent to all maintained schools in December 2001, 52 pages)
	Managing Support for the Attainment of Pupils from Ethnic Minority Groups (sent to all maintained schools in October 2001, 52 pages)
	Improving Inspection, Improving Schools: Questionnaire (sent to all maintained schools in September 2001, 10 pages)
	Improving Inspection, Improving Schools: Consultation on the Framework (sent to all maintained schools in September 2001, 20 pages)
	Extending Work-related Learning at Key Stage 4 (sent to secondary schools in June 2001, 48 pages)
	The Qualifications  Curriculum Authority
	Advanced Extension award leaflets (sent to secondary schools in February 2002, 4 pages)
	Schemes of work for citizenship at Key Stage 3 (sent to secondary schools in February 2002, 135 pages)
	Circular 137, Arrangements to secure consistent standards across Key Stage 1 schools through the process of audit and verification of assessment results for statutory tasks and tests in 2002 (sent to relevant independent primary schools in February 2002, 1 page)
	Circular 136, Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 Standards Reports and testbase 2001 CD (sent to all schools in January 2002, 1 page)
	Circular 135, 2002 Key Stage 1 statutory tasks for English and mathematics (sent to schools with pupils in year 2 in December 2001, 95 pages)
	Circular 121, National Curriculum in action: focus on pupils' work (sent to all maintained schools in December 2001, 1 page)
	Circular 134, Implications for Teaching and Learning from the 2001 Key Stage 3 tests, in English, mathematics and science (sent to schools with year 9 pupils in November 2001, 7 pages)
	Circular 133, Implications for Teaching and Learning from the 2001 Key Stage 1 tests in English and mathematics, and Key Stage 2 tests in English, mathematics and science (sent to schools with pupils in years 2 and/or 6 in November 2001, 11 pages)
	Circular 132, 2002 Guidance on administering the years 7 and 8 tests (sent to schools with pupils in years 7 and 8 on 1 November 2001, 57 pages)
	Circular 131, 2002 Key Stage 3 Assessment and reporting arrangements (sent to schools with pupils in year 9 in October 2001, 70 pages)
	Circular 130, 2002 Key Stage 2 Assessment and reporting arrangements (sent to schools with pupils in year 6 in October 2001, 70 pages)
	Circular 129, 2002 Key Stage 1 Assessment and reporting arrangements (sent to schools with pupils in year 2 in October 2001, 64 pages)
	Circular 128, Schemes of work for citizenship at Key Stage 3 (sent to secondary schools in October 2001, 194 pages)
	Circular 127, Data collection-monitoring of regulations allowing disapplication at Key Stage 4, 200102 (sent to maintained schools with pupils in years 10 and 11 in September 2001, 2 pages)
	Circular 126, Managing curriculum 2000 for 1619 students (sent to secondary schools in September 2001, 32 pages)
	Circular 124, Statutory test dates for 2003 for Key Stages 2 and 3 (sent to schools with pupils in years 6 and/or 9 in July 2001, 2 pages)
	Circular 123, KS3 and Y7 level thresholds, 2002 test dates (sent to schools with pupils in years 7 and 9 in July 2001, 11 pages)
	Circular 122, KS2 and Y7 level thresholds, 2002 test dates (sent to schools with pupils in years 6 and 7 in July 2001, 18 pages)
	Teacher Training Agency
	Information about Special Educational Needs CD-ROM (sent to all schools in December 2001, 1 page).

Oxford Brookes University

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what consultations have taken place between her Department and Oxford Brookes university about the proposed closure of the university's courses in geology, civil engineering and geotechnics, mapping and cartography; and when she was informed of the proposed closures.

Margaret Hodge: No such consultation has taken place. The Secretary of State is aware of the proposed course closures, but these are matters for the university to determine, in discussion with the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Learning and Skills Council

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the circular documents that have been sent by the Learning and Skills Council to (a) secondary schools and (b) colleges of further education; and how many pages each document contained.

Margaret Hodge: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. I have therefore asked John Harwood, the Council's Chief Executive, to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and to place a copy of his reply in the Library.

Learning and Skills Councils

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the progress her Department has made in appointing basic skills specialists to local learning and skills councils.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 28 February 2002
	The Learning and Skills Act 2000 does not specify the detailed composition of either the national or the local councils. This was set out in The Learning and Skills Council Prospectus and included an expectation that LSC members would have experience of a wide range of issues.
	The Secretary of State's grant letter to the LSC for 200203 set out the key priorities for the LSC in 200203, including taking responsibility for tackling the woeful legacy of poor basic skills. It asked the LSC to implement a strategy for raising the literacy and numeracy skills of 750,000 young people and adults by 2004.
	There is at least one basic skills expert working for each local LSC but this does not imply expertise at council level.

Pupil Information

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  whether the group she identifies as young people at risk of becoming lost to the system includes children educated otherwise than at school; and whether she expects Pupil Level Annual Schools Census and the Connexions Service to capture all young people;
	(2)  what information is collected (a) through the Pupil Level Annual Schools Census and (b) through the Connexions service about children educated otherwise than at school; and by what statutory authority that information is collected.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 11 March 2002
	We do not consider all young people educated otherwise than at school to be at risk of dropping out of learning, although some may be vulnerablefor example those who have been excluded from school and are receiving home tuition.
	We want to offer the Connexions Service to all young people, although they will not be compelled to use it.
	The Learning and Skills Act 2000 enables LEAs to supply information to Connexions partnerships. Currently LEAs are the channel of communication between Connexions partnerships and those in home education. Information other than contact information is processed with the informed consent of the young person or parent where appropriate.
	The Pupil Level Annual Schools Census currently covers pupils in maintained primary, secondary and special schools and city technology colleges only. It does not therefore cover all young people, and not children educated otherwise than at school.

Pupil Information

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether (a) maintained and (b) independent schools are required to collect information for the Pupil Level Annual Schools Census; and if she will list the information required.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 11 March 2002
	The Pupil Level Annual Schools Census (PLASC) became a statutory requirement for all maintained primary, secondary and special schools and city technology colleges from January 2002. Maintained and direct grant nursery schools, non-maintained special schools, general hospital schools, Pupil Referral Units and independent schools are required to submit a School Level Annual Schools Census (SLASC) return containing pupil information in the form of school totals only.
	Under PLASC, the following information is collected for each pupil on the school's register on the Census day:
	Unique pupil number (UPN)
	Full name
	Date of birth
	Gender
	Home postcode
	Date of entry to this school
	National curriculum year group
	Full-time/part-time indicator
	Boarder status
	Nursery class/other class indicator
	Ethnic group
	Mother tongue
	Free school meals eligibility
	Special educational needs (i.e. stage on SEN Code of Practice scale)
	Courses of study (for post-16 pupils only).
	The following information is collected for each pupil permanently excluded from the school during the previous school year:
	UPN
	Date of birth
	Gender
	Date of exclusion
	Ethnic group
	Stage on SEN Code of Practice scale (at the time of exclusion).
	Both PLASC and SLASC collect information in the form of school totals on teaching and non-teaching staff. PLASC also collects information on classes as taught at class level as a snapshot at a specified time on the Census day.

Pupil Information

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the schools which piloted PLASC under SI, 1999, No 989.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 11 March 2002
	The schools scheduled to pilot the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) under SI 1999 No. 989 were listed in schedule 1 to those regulations. A list of those schools has been placed in the Library.

Job Sharing

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of the staff of her Department are (a) job sharing, (b) term working and (c) engaged in another form of flexible working.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 729W.

School Census

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what safeguards she will put in place to protect children whose names are collected in the School Census;
	(2)  for how long the School Census records will be kept with children's names on them.

Stephen Timms: Access to Pupil Level Annual Schools Census (PLASC) data including pupil names and unique pupil numbers (UPNs) is strictly limited to those technical staff for whom access is necessary in order to collate PLASC with data from other sources, as set out in my answer to the hon. Member on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 237W.
	Stringent safeguards are in place to prevent unauthorised access to pupil names or UPNs, which, once data collation is complete, will be held securely and separately from the data themselves. These safeguards will be kept continually under review in the light of guidance from the Information Commissioner.
	Information about pupils remains of statistical value after they have left schoolfor example to analyse young people's progression from school into further education and training, higher education and the labour market. Pupil names will need to be retained in order to render such analyses possible. The Department will be using information on past pupils for statistical and research purposes only, and any disclosures will be for those purposes only. On this basis section 33 of the Data Protection Act allows personal data to be retained indefinitely.

Higher Education

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the purpose of higher education.

Margaret Hodge: The purposes of higher education are: to provide high quality teaching to a widening body of students; to undertake research and scholarship which competes with the best in the world; to transfer knowledge and understanding to the economy and the wider community for the benefit of all; and to sustain a culture which underpins our democracy and encourages critical thinking.

Higher Education

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the proportion of children entering higher education whose fathers are coal miners or former coal miners in the last 10 years; and what the average proportion is for the general population.

Margaret Hodge: The available information, showing participation by young people in higher education for each of the standard social class categories, is shown in the following table. Participation rates for individual occupations within these categories are not held centrally.
	The Government are committed to raising the participation rates for people from less affluent family backgrounds, and has introduced Excellence Challenge, including the Aim Higher campaign, which is targeted at raising attainment and aspirations among young people who traditionally would not consider going to university.
	
		Age participation index (API)(12) by social class Great Britain 200001
		
			 Social class Percentage entering HE 
		
		
			 I Professional 76 
			 II Intermediate 48 
			 IIIN Skilled non manual 33 
			 IIIM Skilled manual 19 
			 IV Partly skilled 19 
			 V Unskilled 14 
			 All social classes 33 
		
	
	(12) The API is defined as the number of GB domiciled initial entrants to full-time and sandwich undergraduate HE aged under 21, expressed as a percentage of the average number of 18 and 19-year-olds in the population.

Higher Education

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what planned expenditure on higher education was in 1997 for the subsequent five financial years; and what the total outturn spending on higher education was in each of those years, including proceeds of tuition fees.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 8 March 2002
	Publicly planned expenditure for higher education in England is set out in the annual grant letter issued to the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
	
		 million 
		
			  Publicly planned expenditure(13)  Outturn 
		
		
			 199798 4,699 4,696 
			 199899 4,884 4,894 
			 19992000 5,203 5,133 
			 200001 5,452 (14)5,536 
			 200102 5,853 (15) 
		
	
	(13) Figures reflect grant letter announcements and include public and student contributions to tuition fees, ear-marked capital, allocations for access and widening participation paid via institutions, HE expenditure for the British Academy and directly funded DfES small programmes. They exclude funds paid to students for their maintenance support.
	(14) Provisional.
	(15) Figures not yet available.

Higher Education

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will state the proportion of those aged 18 to 30 participating in higher education (a) as calculated using the initial entry rate and (b) broken down to show the age participation rate for each year group.

Margaret Hodge: The initial entry rate (IER) for English domiciled 18 to 30-year-olds was 40 per cent. for 19992000, the latest year for which final student data are available. This is estimated to rise to 41.5 per cent. for 200102.
	The individual year of age entry rates for 19992000 are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Age(16) Initial entry rate(17) Per cent. 
		
		
			 18(18) 20.0 
			 19 9.5 
			 20 2.5 
			 21 1.5 
			 22 1.0 
			 23 1.0 
			 24 1.0 
			 25 0.5 
			 26 0.5 
			 27 0.5 
			 28 0.5 
			 29 0.5 
			 30 0.5 
		
	
	(16) Age as at 31 August 1999.
	(17) HE entrants in 19992000 as a percentage of separate age population; excludes entrants with previous HE experience and excludes courses of less than one year duration. Note that the individual rates are shown rounded to the nearest 0.5 per cent. and so do not add up to exactly 40 per cent. in the table.
	(18) Includes a small number of entrants aged 17.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

City of London Corporation (Events)

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the functions, engagements and events which Ministers, her officials and advisers have attended which have been sponsored, funded, promoted and hosted by the City of London Corporation since 1997.

Elliot Morley: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Non-governmental Organisations

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list non- governmental organisations operating in the south-west region that receive public funds from her Department; and what amount of annual funding they received in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Elliot Morley: Records specifying the operational location of non-governmental organisations whose activities are supported by the Department are not held centrally. Constructing such information for the south-west region would involve disproportionate cost.

Special Urgency Provisions

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how often the Department has applied the special urgency provisions in paragraph 22 of Circular 18/84 (Development by Government Departments) to a development by the Department; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was only created in June 2001. This reply, therefore, covers the period from that date. This Department has never applied the special urgency provisions of Circular 18/84. This Department makes every effort to follow the usual local authority planning procedures when contemplating land or building developments. The special urgency provisions of Circular 18/84 would be invoked only as a last resort in the most urgent of cases.

Job Advertisements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the job advertisements placed by her Department in the last 12 months specifying where the advertisements were placed and the cost in each case.

Elliot Morley: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was created from the merger of other Departments (or parts of other Departments) in June 2001.
	Recruitment is devolved to Personnel Points across the Department and the answer to the question could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Cartagena Biosafety Protocol

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to recommend that Britain ratify the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety; and when ratification will take place.

Margaret Beckett: Ratification of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety by the United Kingdom is partly dependent on legislative action at the European Community level. The European Commission has recently issued proposals for such legislation. The UK will press for early progress in negotiations on these proposals, so that we may be in a position to ratify the Protocol before the end of this year.

Countryside Alliance

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she next intends to meet representatives of the Countryside Alliance.

Elliot Morley: There are currently no confirmed meetings with the Countryside Alliance in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's diary.

UK Waterways

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of the UK's waterways are owned by the landlords who own the surrounding land.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 5 March 2002
	This information is not held by the Department. We do not keep records of land ownership alongside waterways, and the information is not readily availablesome information might be held by navigation authorities but to obtain a complete picture it would be necessary to carry out land searches for up to 5,000 km of waterway.

Agricultural Products (Prices)

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the average (a) farmgate and (b) final consumer price of (i) beef, (ii) lamb, (iii) milk, (iv) cereal, (v) fruit and (vi) vegetable products in the United Kingdom in each year since 1990.

Elliot Morley: The following table shows estimated average prices paid by consumers for selected foods and the nearest equivalent average UK farmgate prices. The consumer prices reflect the price of imported foods as well as home-grown produce. They also reflect costs, value added and profit margins upstream from the farmgate.
	All foods as purchased by consumers will differ to some extent from the ex-farm commodity. Milling wheat will be milled, mixed with other ingredients and further processed to produce bread; meat as retailed will have been de-boned, cut, trimmed of most fat and packaged; raw milk will be treated and fruit and vegetables will be graded and cleaned. These additional processes affect the validity of a direct comparison between the consumer and farmgate prices.
	
		Consumer prices for selected foods and the farmgate price for the nearest equivalent agricultural commodity produced in the UK -- Pence per kg. unless otherwise stated
		
			 Food (home-grown and imported) and Commodities (home-grown) 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Beef and veal 432 448 445 476 476 488 485 497 487 491 483 
			 Finished cattle (dcw)(19) 190 191 196 229 218 220 189 173 154 165 160 
			 
			 Lamb and mutton 349 343 378 410 419 415 441 473 429 450 469 
			 Finished sheep (dcw)(19),(20) 175 148 182 219 237 236 283 239 193 180 196 
			 
			 Liquid milk (pence per litre) 52 54 55 55 53 53 52 51 50 49 48 
			 Raw milk (pence per litre)(21) 18 20 21 22 22 25 25 22 19 18 17 
			 
			 Bread 86 91 92 91 90 91 94 96 98 100 102 
			 Milling wheat 12 13 14 13 11 12 12 10 8 8 7 
			 
			 Apples 99 114 109 91 100 103 111 112 111 111 112 
			 Apples(22) 39 42 25 27 32 34 39 42 39 31 30 
			 Potatoes 29 30 29 28 36 49 40 35 49 51 47 
			 Potatoes 10 9 8 6 13 19 10 7 12 12 9 
			 
			 Cabbages 60 65 61 65 64 72 74 70 76 79 86 
			 Cabbages(22) 18 14 17 14 16 25 18 18 22 18 24 
			 
			 Cauliflowers 73 95 85 97 97 113 105 103 102 101 98 
			 Cauliflowers(22) 24 25 20 22 22 28 24 23 22 22 24 
			 
			 Leafy salads 155 155 156 165 160 171 183 204 223 236 244 
			 Lettuce 81 78 87 91 71 87 143 121 114 117 100 
			 
			 Carrots 57 60 50 50 52 54 57 52 58 55 56 
			 Carrots(22) 22 12 11 12 15 20 12 12 16 12 15 
			 
			 Cucumbers 137 126 128 129 114 139 130 125 128 125 129 
			 Cucumbers 55 49 54 57 60 77 62 57 51 46 54 
			 
			 Mushrooms 260 264 274 269 269 278 278 270 278 266 269 
			 Mushrooms 147 153 147 148 152 160 161 158 160 165 170 
			 
			 Tomatoes 140 144 131 130 134 131 141 134 148 162 173 
			 Tomatoes 67 58 52 59 68 58 74 54 59 57 69 
		
	
	(19) Estimated price, dressed carcase weight equivalent.
	(20) Excludes Northern Ireland.
	(21) Including bonus payments.
	(22) Crop year prices.
	Notes:
	1. Consumer prices are for Great Britain based upon expenditure and purchased volumes of home-grown and imported foods.
	2. Prices in italics are farmgate prices for UK produce.
	Sources:
	1. National Food Survey annual reports.
	2. Agriculture in the United kingdom 2000.
	3. Basic Horticultural Statistics for the UK.

Accommodation Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost was of hotel accommodation for departmental staff working away from home in each of the last four years.

Elliot Morley: DEFRA was created in June 2001 so prior year figure work relates to the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food only. The cost of overnight accommodation for departmental staff working away from home in each of the last four years is indicated in the table.
	Please note our system records the overall cost of overnight stays, which will include bed and breakfast establishments as well as hotels, and some other costs (e.g. breakfast) specifically associated with stays away from home.
	
		
			 Account description  199899(23) 19992000(23) 200001(23) April 2001 year to date 
		
		
			 UK night subsistence 1,178,360.93 1,167,163.29 2,088,876.19 20,703,332.13 
			 Subsistence EC institution meeting 284,533.74 477,239.79 6,712.70 200,462.52 
			 Subsistence other overseas visits 196,928.80 305,247.24 220,586.51 83,582.82 
			  
			 Total 1,659,823.47 1,949,650.32 2,316,175.40 20,987,377.47 
		
	
	(23) April to March
	Note:
	The rise in expenditure for 2001-year to date is a result of the costs incurred in respect of foot and mouth.

Rural Development Fund

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to press for a better deal from the EU Commission for the United Kingdom over the Rural Development Fund.

Alun Michael: Due to decisions taken by the last Government prior to 1997 and to the low historic spend in this sector, the UK's share of the rural development budget (3.5 per cent.) is disproportionately low when compared with its share of agricultural land in the EU (12 per cent.) and with the range of environmental and other problems currently faced by the UK. I am sure that the hon. Member will appreciate that decisions by the last Government placed us in a weak position but that this Government's stronger position within Europe puts us in a position to raise these issues again.
	CAP reform and increasing the financial resources going towards rural development are key aims for this Government. The mid-term review of the CAP provides us with the opportunity to press hard, not only for increased funds to be made available for rural development, but also to ensure the UK receives a fairer share of these funds.

Foliar Disease

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information and guidance is issued by her Department to cereal growers on the (a) prevention and (b) control of foliar disease.

Elliot Morley: DEFRA continues to monitor and assess the risk from non-indigenous diseases and take action where they pose a serious threat to cereal crops.
	DEFRA conducts annual surveys of indigenous cereal foliar diseases. These data are made available by DEFRA and help industry identify where control measures, particularly fungicides are justified. Research on major cereal diseases is funded by DEFRA to underpin improved crop management with reduced dependence on fungicides.

European Union Subsidies

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the future payment of European Union subsidies to farmers in euros.

Elliot Morley: The Government are committed to providing farmers with the option of receiving grant and subsidy payments in euro at the earliest practical opportunity, where they request this. We have considered the timing and practical requirements involved very carefully.
	IT systems must be in place to deliver euro payments to farmers. A manual system, even to cope with a modest demand, would be extremely expensive and inefficient. In order to be able to make payments to farmers in euro as early as possible, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has included euro capability in the design for all of its system development. The devolved Administrations have programmed in similar work, as all CAP paying agencies must be able to deliver at the same time.
	The euro payment service for farmers is expected to be in place by the end of 2004 when RPA and the devolved Administrations have developed the necessary systems.
	Once a system for direct payments in euro is available, it is likely that farmers would be asked to commit three months in advance and to sign up for a minimum of a year. That would be in line with the system the RPA is currently running for paying traders in euro where they request it.

Supermarket Chains

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has made to supermarket chains to encourage retailers to stock locally produced food; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: We are keen to see supermarkets stock more local produce. The issue of local sourcing has been discussed in meetings with individual supermarkets. Food from Britain, which we grant-aid, has also been encouraging the major supermarkets to introduce regional sourcing policies and most have done so.

Varroa Mite

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action the Government have taken to tackle the varroa mite; and what estimate she has made of its prevalence in England.

Elliot Morley: The Government assist the UK beekeeping sector to deal with bee health issues, in particular varroa, through programmes costing around 1.6 million in 200102. Under these measures, the National Bee Unit (NBU), part of the Central Science Laboratory, provides a free diagnostic and inspection service to beekeepers in England as well as training and advice (including various publications, lectures, workshops and demonstrations) to help them become more self-reliant through improved bee husbandry. Training and guidance is regularly updated to reflect the latest research findings. The NBU also carries out routine screening for varroa resistant to authorised treatments.
	Varroa is widely distributed in England. At least 5,000 infested apiaries have been confirmed since 1992, when the mite was first confirmed in the UK.

Sheep Exports

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what percentage of sheep exports from the UK to (a) France, (b) Germany and (c) the Netherlands have been refused entry since 1 October 2001.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 11 March 2002
	Commission Decision 2002/153/EC of 20 February 2002 has lifted the EU prohibition on live sheep exports from GB which has applied since 21 February 2001. As at 14 March 2002 no sheep have been exported from GB since 21 February 2001.
	Northern Ireland has been able to export sheep since June 2001 during which time one consignment of 274 sheep, originating from Ireland but on a ship sailing from Belfast, has been refused entry to France. We are not aware of any sheep exports from Northern Ireland which have been refused entry to Germany or the Netherlands since 1 October 2001.

Ruminant Feed

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much ruminant feed was imported into the UK from (a) Belgium, (b) Germany, (c) Spain, (d) France, (e) Ireland, (f) Italy, (g) Luxembourg, (h) Portugal and (i) Finland in each of the last five years; and what proportion was found to be contaminated.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 11 March 2002
	Overseas trade statistics do not provide a specific category for ruminant feed. However, the table shows the level of UK imports of all animal feedingstuffs over the past five years:
	
		Tonnes 
		
			 Country 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Germany 146,838 103,785 190,198 230,633 221,313 
			 Belgium-Luxembourg 223,981 164,620 159,800 117,670 81,065 
			 Irish Republic 113,328 93,921 124,572 126,434 177,734 
			 France 42,338 104,951 88,510 82,403 52,302 
			 Spain 16,917 21,569 8,449 6,320 7,130 
			 Portugal 10 2  10,851 21,440 
			 Italy 6,062 4,689 2,180 1,063 4,612 
			 Finland 745 65 69 108 683 
		
	
	Source:
	HM Customs and Excise
	Data prepared by Statistics (Commodities and Food) Accounts and Trade, ESD, DEFRA
	Figures on the proportion of animal feed found to be contaminated over this period are not available, but, for example, no case of mammalian meat and bonemeal has been detected in ruminant feed under our national feed surveillance programme since August 1996.
	New EU-wide measures (implemented domestically under the Processed Animal Protein Regulations from 1 August 2001) already control intra-Community trade and imports from third countries of a wide range of processed animal proteins, effectively preventing their inclusion in feed for farmed animals in order to stop the propagation of BSE.
	In Great Britain, a national feed sampling programme has been in place since 1996 to monitor compliance with BSE-related feed controls. This programme, operated by the State Veterinary Service, typically takes around 20,000 samples per year from feed mills, on-farm mixers and other premises handling livestock feed. The results of the programme are very encouraging and indicate wide compliance with the feed controls, confirming that prohibited ingredients (from domestic or imported sources) are being effectively removed from the market, distribution channels and farms.
	Of the 78,202 samples recorded to 6 March 2002 inclusive, 78,001 (99.74 per cent.) tested negative for prohibited proteins. The remaining 201 samples tested either positive or inconclusive. The SVS carry out a full on-site investigation to identify the cause of each positive or inconclusive result. A positive result does not necessarily indicate a breach of the feed ban as the testing mechanism detects the presence of some proteins in feed even where the presence of the protein product is lawful.

Plant and Meat Imports

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 229W, on plant and meat imports, what proportion of checks between November 2000 and October 2001 were for (a) commercial and (b) personal purposes; and if she will break down the illegally imported products since April 2001 by category.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 11 March 2002
	Of the 19,140 checks referred to undertaken at Border Inspection Posts, the majority related to checks on commercial consignments of meat and meat products which have to be declared to the port health authorities for clearance. We are aware that included within this figure will be a few checks which were undertaken on personal imports, but the data is not held in a way that the information on the personal imports can be extracted.
	A breakdown of the 1,142 seizures taken from personal baggage could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Sporting Rights (Grants)

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will provide a breakdown by district of revenue received by the Forestry Commission in the last 12 months, by way of grants for sporting rights.

Elliot Morley: The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by Forest Enterprise. I have asked its Chief Executive, Dr. Bob McIntosh, to arrange for a reply to be given.
	Letter from Bob McIntosh to Mr. Simon Thomas, dated 18 March 2002
	I have been asked to reply to your question addressed to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs asking if she will provide a breakdown, by Forest District, of revenue received over the last 12 months from the leasing sporting rights.
	The figures you have requested are as follows:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 East Anglia 55,000 
			 Forest of Dean 24,500 
			 Kielder 19,000 
			 New Forest 13,000 
			 North West England 6,000 
			 North York Moors 40,000 
			 Northants 25,000 
			 Peninsula 57,000 
			 Sherwood 18,500 
			 South East Anglia 28,500 
			 West Midlands 41,000 
			  
			 Total income 327,500 
		
	
	If you require any further information please let me know.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many appointments to public bodies have been made through her Department (a) from April 2000 to March 2001 and (b) since 31 March 2001; and how many of these were (i) men and (ii) women.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 12 March 2002
	The numbers of men and women appointed, or reappointed, by Ministers in this Department to bodies sponsored by this Department during the periods in question are as follows:
	
		
			  1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 1 April 2001 to 28 February 2002 
		
		
			 Men appointed 235 96 
			 Women appointed 78 44

Agriculture Council

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether a Scottish Executive Minister will be a member of the UK delegation to the forthcoming Agriculture European Union Council of Ministers meeting on 18 and 19 March; and what information is being provided by her Department to guarantee effective pre-council scrutiny by the European Committee of the Scottish Parliament.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 12 March 2002
	There are no plans for any Scottish Executive Minister to attend the Agriculture Council in March. It is the responsibility of the European Committee of the Scottish Parliament to scrutinise the Scottish Executive's involvement in preparations for EU Council meetings. These arrangements are a matter for the Committee and the Scottish Executive. My Department provides information to Scottish Executive officials as part of that process.

Tail Docking

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to ensure that the docking of dogs' tails is regulated; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 12 March 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw (John Mann) on 11 March 2002, Official Report, column 796W.

Electric Goods Disposal

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the availability of treatment systems to disassemble waste electrical and electronic equipment.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 12 March 2002
	The European Community Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is still in draft.
	At present, the UK collects more WEEE than the forthcoming Directive is likely to require. There are adequate facilities for processing existing disposals of WEEE through a wide range of re-use facilities, treatment sites and shredder operations licensed or registered exempt through the Environment Agency. These include community based refurbishment initiatives for household electrical items, scrap metal processors who take in white goods and shredders which take a range of WEEE in addition to white goods.
	There have been new facilities established recently to deal with specific types of WEEE, such as the reprocessing of fluorescent tubes, refurbishment of personal computers and mobile telephones. Several of these newer operations undertake the disassembly of any equipment which cannot be refurbished for re-use in order to re-use components or to minimize cross-contamination during the recycling of different types of material.

Ruddy Duck

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many ruddy ducks have been killed in Britain since the beginning of the campaign to eradicate them.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 12 March 2002
	No decision has yet been taken on whether to undertake a campaign to eradicate the ruddy duck in the United Kingdom. However, as part of the Government's control trial to test the feasibility of eradicating the UK's population of ruddy duck within 10 years, a total of 2,558 ruddy ducks have been culled.

Regulatory Impact Unit

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many members her Department employs in its Regulatory Impact Unit; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Four people work full time in the Better Regulation Unit. The Unit is supervised by a member of the Senior Civil Service who is also engaged on other duties.
	It is the job of Departmental Regulatory Impact Units to establish and promote the principles of good regulation in their departments. The staff work closely with the officials responsible for developing policies within their Department, the Cabinet Office's Regulatory Impact Unit and the Small Business Service. They focus on those regulations that impact on business, charities, and the voluntary sector.

Complaints

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints were registered against her Department and its predecessor Departments in (a) 1990 to 1996 and (b) 1997 to 2002; how many are current; and what proportion were (i) taken up and (ii) upheld by the Parliamentary Ombudsman in this period.

Elliot Morley: The table shows up-to-date information from records in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for the number of citizens charter complaints received since 1995.
	
		Citizens charter complaints received by MAFF and DEFRA(24)
		
			  199596(25) 19972002 Total 
		
		
			 Number of citizens charter complaints(26) 23 141 164 
			 Current citizens charter complaints 0 3 3 
			 Number of citizens charter complaints referred to PCA(27) 1 4 5 
			 Number of citizens charter complaints upheld by PCA 0 0 0 
		
	
	(24) Prior to the creation of DEFRA, the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions did not maintain a record of complaints that were referred to its central office for citizens charter issues. A manual count of DETR's complaints cannot be conducted without disproportionate effort. Before it became part of DEFRA, the Hunting Policy Unit of the Home Office did not receive any complaints.
	(25) Before the establishment of the citizens charters for Government Departments, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food did not have a central unit for co-ordinating responses to complaints. As a result, DEFRA cannot co-ordinate statistics for complaints prior to 1995 without disproportionate effort.
	(26) DEFRA's central unit for citizens charter complaints deals with all complaints addressed to DEFRA's complaints adjudicator. Centralised records do not exist for complaints addressed directly to individual divisions, and so DEFRA cannot co-ordinate figures for these without disproportionate effort.
	(27) These figures do not include complaints made directly to the PCA. The total number of complaints that the Parliamentary Ombudsman investigated are in his annual reports.

Litter (Fines)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 5 February 2002, Official Report, column 901W, on littering, how many people in the UK were prosecuted in each of the last five years; and in how many cases they were convicted.

Michael Meacher: In 1996 there were 626 people prosecuted and 468 of those were convicted for littering offences, in 1997 there were 505 prosecutions with 352 convictions, in 1998 there were 494 prosecutions with 377 convictions and in 1999 there were 501 prosecutions with 390 convictions. There are no central data held prior to 1996.

Dog Fouling

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 5 February 2002, Official Report, column 902W, on dog fouling, how many complaints were received by (a) Buckinghamshire county council and (b) Aylesbury Vale district council regarding fouling; and how many fines were imposed nationally.

Michael Meacher: Data on the number of complaints received by individual councils are not collected centrally by DEFRA. The number of fines imposed nationally for dog fouling during 200001 was 1,961.

Livestock Markets

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial support is being provided to assist owners of livestock markets to re-open.

Elliot Morley: There are no plans to offer financial support from the public purse to livestock markets, which are commercial operations.

Fluoride

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what investigation she has made of the cost of corrosion damage to water providers in (a) fluoridated and (b) unfluoridated areas.

Michael Meacher: The maximum permitted concentration of all fluoride in public water supplies is 1.5 mg per litre of water. The effects of public water supplies on water companies' pipes are normally measured by the water's pH although there are other factors. In general, the lower the pH value, the higher the level of corrosion. Legislation specifies two compounds of fluorine which water companies may add to public supplies at the request of area health authorities. The compound that companies would normally add is hexafluorosilic acid. This is a corrosive substance and care must be exercised when it is delivered, in bulk, to water treatment works. There is, however, no measurable change in the pH of fluoridated or unfluoridated water, on leaving the treatment works, and therefore no reason to suspect that fluoridated water is more or less corrosive in the distribution system.

Forestry

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to meet the Government's Forestry Strategy commitments to sustainably managed woods.

Elliot Morley: Our approach and commitment to sustainable woodland management is set out in the 1998 UK Forestry Standard. The England Forestry Strategy describes our priorities and programmes for forestry in England. Our aim is to ensure that all of England's woodlands are sustainably managed. We give advice to private woodland owners to encourage them to manage their woodlands sustainably and support for this is given through the Woodland Grant Scheme. All applications for assistance under this scheme must meet the criteria set out in the UK Forestry Standard.
	The Forestry Commission has been awarded the World Wide Fund for Nature's Gift to the Earth Award in recognition of the key role they played in progressing independent certification of sustainable forest management in the UK through development and delivery of the UK Woodland Assurance Standard. The UK is the only country where the entire state forest area has achieved credible certification to an independent standard recognised by the Forestry Stewardship Council.
	We recognise the need to monitor UK woodland and to take corrective action when necessary. The UK Forestry Standard explains how we will achieve this through a combination of scientific study and national surveys. We are committed to publishing results and to continue developing the Standard in the light of experience.

Veal Crates

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the occasions since 1997 when Ministers or officials have made representations to the EU Commission and other member states on the abolition of veal crates.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 15 March 2002
	No such representations have been made. Council Directive 97/2/EC of 20 January 1997 imposed an EU wide ban on veal crates which will come into full effect from 31 December 2006.

Ian Stillman

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she had concerning Ian Stillman during her visit to India of 11 February.

Elliot Morley: None.

Hedges

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures there are to encourage farmers to use hedges as boundaries on their land.

Michael Meacher: Our Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas schemes provide financial incentives for planting, restoration and management of hedgerows on farmland. DEFRA also funds free initial conservation advice for farmers, provided on our behalf by the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group and ADAS, including on the management of hedgerows for their wildlife, landscape, amenity and historical value.

Air Conditioning

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures were taken by her Department to ensure that the consultant advising on the installation of air conditioning during the recent equipping of the new departmental building in Temple Quay, Bristol was aware of the Government's policy on the use of hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants in air conditioning; and if she will make a statement on the measures taken by the consultant to source practical and safe alternatives to hydrofluorocarbon-based air conditioning.

Alan Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.
	Temple Quay is a developer led project. Their consulting engineers applied their own sustainability policies to the project and were apprised of the Government's policy on the use of HFC refrigerants.
	In addition, one of the key elements of the Department's original brief to the developer and architect was that Temple Quay House must have a BREEAM rating of 'excellent'. One of the items that helped to achieve this rating was subsequently to specify refrigerants with an ozone depletion potential of zero.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the Public Service Agreement targets which have been revised and those which have been introduced since the publication of the 2001 departmental report.

Elliot Morley: When the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) was created in June 2001 an interim Public Service Agreement with a total of 14 targets was drawn up. These 14 targets comprised all eight of the MAFF PSA targets together with six targets covering environmental issues from the DETR PSA. The DEFRA interim PSA will remain extant until the end of this spending period.
	The interim PSA targets are listed on our website at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/busplan/01psa.htm.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Public Service Agreement target to reverse the long-term decline in populations of farmland birds by 2020.

Elliot Morley: This Department has a number of existing policy measures which will help to achieve the PSA target, not least the continuing expansion of our agri-environment schemes under the England Rural Development Programme. We are hopeful that this year's national rollout of arable Countryside Stewardship options, based on a successful pilot scheme, will prove particularly beneficial for farmland birds. An assessment carried out last year of the underlying trend showed that the decline was slowing down and we are expecting an updated assessment shortly. However, the reasons for the decline in farmland bird numbers are complex and we have commissioned research from the British Trust for Ornithology, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Oxford University to help us identify more precisely what needs to be done to ensure delivery of the PSA target.

Shellfish Industry

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what circumstances compensation is available to workers in the shellfish industry if they are unable to pursue their livelihoods.

Elliot Morley: This Department does not operate any schemes of compensation for workers in the shellfish industry.

Shellfish Industry

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the economic and employment consequences of the outbreaks of atypical diarrhetic shell fish poisoning in (a) the Thames Estuary, (b) the Wash, (c) Whitstable, (d) the Menai Straits and Anglesey, (e) the Bury Inlet and (f) Strangford Lough.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 14 February 2002, Official Report, column 647W.

Farmed Fish

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received regarding farmed fish; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: We have received representations recently on matters relating to the management, marketing and welfare of farmed fish.

Farmed Fish

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to seek to reform the law in respect of farmed fish; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Diseases of Fish (Control) (Amendments) (England and Wales) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002 No.284), which came into force on 10 March 2002, provide for revised control measures to be taken on any farm in England and Wales where there is suspicion or confirmation of certain fish diseases. The regulations implement in England and Wales the provisions of Council Directive 2000/27/EEC of 2 May 2000.
	We are planning to amend the Fish Health Regulations 1997 (SI 1997 No.1881) to reflect restoration of the Great Britain approved zone in respect of the fish diseases infectious haematopoietic necrosis and viral haemorrhagic septicaemia following adoption of Commission Decision 2000/188/EC of 17 February 2000, and to make changes in the way fish farmers should maintain fish movement records.

Welfare of Laying Hens Directive

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many meetings her Department had with (a) scientists and (b) vets prior to agreement of the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive 1999/74/EC.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 11 March 2002
	Interested parties, including scientists and vets were consulted during the course of the negotiations on the directive.

Welfare of Laying Hens Directive

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will ensure that in implementing the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive 1999/74/EC the requirements in the United Kingdom are the minimum laid down in the Directive.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 11 March 2002
	It is intended that the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive will be implemented in England without being added to in any way. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will follow suit. If changes are proposed there will be a full public consultation.

Freshwater Fisheries

Jack Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the objectives are of the Environment Agency BRITE proposals; what effect she estimates they will have on the resources devoted to all aspects of freshwater fisheries; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 11 March 2002
	BRITE (Better Regulation to Improve the Environment) is an internal Environment Agency reorganisation with the broad objectives of improving effectiveness of delivery, achieve regulatory consistency and integrated management of the environment. The agency expects these changes to improve the environmental outcomes from existing stakeholders by reallocating existing resources. The water resource aspects of BRITE, which include fisheries, have yet to be considered by Ministers.

Freshwater Fisheries

Jack Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out the Government's response to Recommendations of the Freshwater Fisheries Review; how far the Government's position is informed by the BRITE proposals of the Environment Agency; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 11 March 2002
	I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd, South (Mr. Jones) on 20 December 2000, Official Report, columns 20508, in which I outlined the Government's response to the independent report of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review Group. A copy of the Government's formal response can be found in the Library.
	The Government require the Environment Agency to use its resources in a cost-effective manner. Although the potential impacts of the BRITE (Better Regulation to Improve the Environment) proposals as they affect fisheries have yet to be considered by Ministers they are expected to be consistent with that overall aim.

Eggs

David Curry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she will make of the impact on the competitiveness of the UK industry in relation to other EU egg producers in deciding whether to permit the enriched cage system of production under EU Welfare of Laying Hens Directive 1999/74/EC.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 8 March 2002
	English implementing legislation will permit all the systems of production detailed in the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive 99/74/EC. If changes are proposed there will be a full public consultation.

Eggs

David Curry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information she has collated on which EU countries have indicated that they will (a) permit and (b) not permit the enriched cages system of egg production when the EU Welfare of Laying Hens Directive 1999/74/EC is introduced.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 8 March 2002
	No country is proposing an immediate ban on enriched cages. Germany proposes to ban them from 2012. Belgium and the Netherlands are considering following suit. As far as we are aware all other member states will permit enriched cages subject to a review of the directive in 2005.

Mari Geni

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the fishing vessel, Mari Geni, has been decommissioned.

Elliot Morley: The Department has received confirmation that the Mari Geni has now been decommissioned.

Mari Geni

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to whom the track record of the fishing vessel, Mari Geni, has been transferred.

Elliot Morley: The arrangements for the transfer of track record under the 2001 fishing vessel decommissioning scheme for England were set out in the answer given to the hon. Member on 27 February 2002, Official Report, column 1358W. Information on individual transfers is confidential to the parties concerned.

Foot and Mouth

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answers of 7 March 2002, Official Report, column 481W, on foot and mouth, when the record of local authority prosecutions will be made available; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 14 March 2002
	The Department makes an annual Return of Prosecutions made under the Animal Health Act 1981. This is due to be laid before Parliament by 27 March. However, the return does not specify the nature of each prosecution but provides a statistical report on the number of prosecutions taken under the Act. Prosecutions taken during the foot and mouth outbreak could have been taken under a number of different Orders (i.e. the Foot and Mouth Order 1983 or the Animal By-Products Order 1999) or under the Act. Due to difficulties encountered this year in collecting this information, the return for October 2000 to September 2001 may not be complete.
	The results of the exercise we are conducting with the Local Authority Co-ordinating Body on Food and Trading Standards (LACOTS) to compile a complete record of prosecutions (mentioned in my previous answer) may be presented in a future Return of Prosecutions. Alternative methods of making this information publicly available are under consideration. Given the number of local authorities from which information is required, I cannot say when this information will finally be available. We will, however, seek to complete the exercise as soon as possible.

Foot and Mouth

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answers of 7 March 2002, Official Report, column 481W, on foot and mouth, if the farm premises where obstruction of Government inspection took place was found subsequently to have been infected with foot-and-mouth disease.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 14 March 2002
	The farm concerned was not confirmed as an infected premises.

Foot and Mouth

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost has been of the programme of laboratory testing of samples taken from animals suspected of carrying foot and mouth disease since 19 February 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The laboratory testing programme for Foot and Mouth Disease is estimated to have cost approximately 22 million.

Foot and Mouth

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she published an itemised cost list of the Epynt carcase and ash burial and incineration site in Powys opened for animals slaughtered under the foot and mouth disease control measures; how many animals have been interred at the Epynt burial site (a) in the form of carcases and (b) following incineration; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: We are unable to give final cost figures for Epynt mass burial site at this time. Invoices submitted by contractors for work carried out on the site are currently the subject of verification and substantiation by forensic accountants and claims surveyors retained by this Department.
	(a) 18,000 carcases were originally buried at the site but all have since been exhumed and burned on the pyre site.
	(b) Ash resulting from carcase burning at the Epynt pyre site has been removed for disposal in landfill.

Foot and Mouth

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost has been of the operation to (a) recover the carcases and ashes of animals buried at the Epynt foot and mouth disease disposal site, (b) restore the immediate environment following reclamation and (c) monitor the wider environment for pollution and contamination.

Elliot Morley: We are unable to give cost figures for Epynt mass burial site at this time. Invoices submitted by contractors are currently the subject of verification and substantiation by forensic accountants and claims surveyors retained by this Department.

Foot and Mouth

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what was the cost incurred in Wales by the use of vets in relation to the recent foot and mouth outbreak.

Elliot Morley: The cost of employing Local Veterinary Inspectors and Temporary Veterinary Inspectors to deal with the foot and mouth outbreak cannot be broken down in the way requested by the hon. Member.

Foot and Mouth

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the mechanisms used to publicise the Make Your Views Known consultation which will be fed into the foot and mouth inquiry.

Elliot Morley: This is a matter for the Lessons Learned Inquiry. I understand that the Framework Document, setting out the details of this consultation, was published on the Inquiry web site on 14 December 2001 and circulated to a wide range of stakeholders. The deadline for written submissions was Friday 15 March 2002.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many inquiries are being undertaken by her Department into suspected cases of fraud in relation to the handling of the foot and mouth epidemic; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 7 March 2002
	There are currently eight cases in England, related to the Foot-and-Mouth epidemic and involving allegations of financial irregularities in relation to claims for compensation and/or invoices for services, which are subject to criminal investigation by my Department. Additionally, three completed investigations are under consideration by lawyers to determine if prosecution is appropriate, and criminal proceedings have been initiated in one case.
	Substantive allegations of fraud will be fully investigated, but it would be inappropriate for me to comment further in respect of current investigations.

Foot and Mouth

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's decision to issue a press release 75/02 on 26 February on the suspected case of foot and mouth at a farm near Hawnby, North Yorkshire; what information was issued by her Department to the local authorities controlling the situation at the local level concerning the Department's intentions; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Press release 75/02 was issued in line with the Department's commitment to openness. It was important that we informed interested parties, via the media, that the 8 km animal movement restrictions had been imposed around the farm at Hawnby, the first time this had happened since 30 September.
	I understand that the media had become aware of the incident shortly before the release was issued and were in contact with the Leeds COI press office requesting information. It is important that the Department does what it can to assist factual reporting and informing the public by issuing information in the public interest.
	We co-operated fully with North Yorkshire county council on the imposition of movement restrictions and the revocation of any movement licences. We did not formally discuss our intention to issue a press release with the council although council officials were aware that a press release would be issued.

Foot and Mouth

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she and her Ministers will give evidence to the European Parliament's Committee of Inquiry on Foot and Mouth.

Elliot Morley: Ministers and officials are ready to meet the Temporary Committee if this would be helpful. We have not yet received formal invitations.

Foot and Mouth

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list those studies she has undertaken to investigate the impact on agricultural ancillary industries when a case of suspected foot and mouth is under investigation by her Department; what assessment she has made of the effect on ancillary industries of the nature of media reporting of suspected cases of foot and mouth disease; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: DEFRA commissioned a survey of 2,445 businesses in six mainly rural districts of England (Carlisle, Eden, West Devon, East Devon, North Norfolk and Mid-Suffolk) to investigate the economic impacts of foot and mouth disease (FMD). It was undertaken during September 2001. The survey investigated the economic impacts of FMD on selected rural economies in regions which have been affected to varying degrees by FMD.
	The key findings of this report were included in the report of the Rural Task Force, published in October 2001 and entitled Tackling the Impact of Foot and Mouth Disease on the Rural Economy.
	The Government responded in December 2001 when I published England's Rural Future. It is difficult to see how studies could be carried out in the way suggested by the hon. Lady.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports she has (a) requested and (b) received from other public bodies regarding the handling of the foot and mouth epidemic; and if she will place copies of the reports in the Library.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 5 March 2002
	It is for the independent Lessons Learned inquiry to make recommendations as to the way in which the Government should handle any future major animal disease outbreak. However, I have received a number of reports from organisations, including Devon county council, Shropshire county council and Northumberland county council. These reports have been placed in the public domain by these organisations.

Honey

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action the Government have taken to tackle European foul brood disease; and what estimate she has made of its prevalence in England.

Elliot Morley: The Government assist the UK beekeeping sector by funding a range of measures to protect bee health, costing around 1.6 million in 200102. In England, the bee health programme costs some 1.3 million annually, and is administered by the National Bee Unit (NBU), part of the Central Science Laboratory.
	European foul brood (EFB) is a notifiable disease under the Bee Diseases Control Order 1982. All new suspected cases have to be reported. In 2001, 816 colonies in 350 apiaries in England were found to be infected with EFB. Colonies too heavily infected to respond to treatment are destroyed. Lightly infected colonies are treated with antibiotic by field inspectors of the NBU.
	In addition, NBU has been conducting trials for the long-term control of the disease without the need for destruction of bees. The results to date are encouraging. The Department is also funding research under its Horticulture LINK programme to develop a method of biological control of EFB. The NBU also provides regional and national training in good husbandry, disease recognition and control for all beekeepers in England.

Honey

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what action she is taking (a) to promote British honey and (b) to publicise the safety and quality of the British product;
	(2)  what action she plans to promote the sale of locally produced British honey direct from beekeepers.

Elliot Morley: The promotion of locally produced British honey is a matter for the industry itself. However, honey producers are able to benefit form the trade development and marketing services provided by the regional food groups which the Department supports through Food from Britain. Honey producers may also be eligible for grants under the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP). Two measures are of particular relevance to them. These are the Rural Enterprise Scheme measure on the marketing of quality agricultural products, which provides largely non-capital grants for marketing initiatives, and the Processing and Marketing Grant which provides capital grants for processing and marketing facilities. These grants are run competitively on a regional basis.
	The safety and quality of British honey is a matter for the Food Standards Agency.

Honey

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of honey sold in the UK is imported; and what proportion comes from China.

Elliot Morley: The table shows UK supply and imports of honey between 1999 and 2001. It also shows the proportion of total UK imports that came from China during this period.
	
		Tonnes 
		
			  1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 UK supply 26,299 25,514 27,603 
			 Total imports 23,181 24,108 25,279 
			 Total imports as a percentage of UK supply 88 94 92 
			 
			 Imports from China 10,400 11,044 10,640 
			 Imports from China as a percentage of total imports 45 46 42 
		
	
	Source:
	HM Customs and Excise and DEFRA Supply Balance Sheets

Honey

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps her Department has taken in the last five years to destroy honey that has been found to have a significant risk of being contaminated by antibiotics and other dangerous substances;
	(2)  what checks are made on imported honey to ensure it is free of contaminations.

Elliot Morley: All consignments of products of animal origin, including honey, currently imported from third countries into the UK are subjected to a documentary check of the veterinary certification and an identity check to match the goods to the certification. A percentage of consignments are also subjected to a physical check, which may include organoleptic checks, temperature checks and laboratory tests for pathogens or contaminants. In the case of honey 50 per cent. of consignments are so checked.
	Where import checks reveal that any product of animal origin does not comply with Community import conditions it is rejected or destroyed. Figures relating to products destroyed are not kept centrally.
	The Veterinary Medicines Directorate has been sampling honey on sale since 1995. No samples contained residues of antibiotics or other substances which posed a significant risk to consumers. Therefore, no honey was required to be destroyed. All results have been reported in the VMD Annual Report on Residue Surveillance and its quarterly newsletter, MAVIS.
	Following a recent European Commission inspection visit to China, which revealed concerns about antibiotic residues, the EU has banned the importation of all animal products from China with effect from 13 March 2002. As a result the FSA carried out tests on a number of samples of Chinese and blended honey on sale in the UK. They found that most contained antibiotic residues, but at a level which scientific experts do not consider poses a risk to public health.

Refrigerants

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department has taken to encourage (a) producers and (b) distributors of not-in-kind refrigerants to tender for contracts for the refurbishment of Government buildings; and what (i) communications and (ii) meetings officials of her Department have had with prospective not-in-kind suppliers.

Michael Meacher: The Department's Greening Government website provides advice to both civil servants and suppliers on a whole range of environmental issues including the use of refrigerants. The Green Guide for Buyers for example calls for the specification of systems free of refrigerants that deplete the ozone layer and, where it is safe, cost effective and technically feasible to do so, also free of substances that have a high global warming potential. The website has been widely promoted at conferences and in journals. It's URL is http://defraweb/ environment/greening/gghome.htm. Our estate managers do not hold meetings with prospective not-in-kind suppliers, preferring to leave this to our consultants and contractors who possess the necessary expertise. However, policy officials did meet several suppliers of 'not-in-kind' refrigerants during 2001.

Refrigerants

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will indicate what her understanding is of whether sections of Article 1 of EC Regulation 2037/2000 as agreed on 29 June 2000, apply to ozone-depleting substances used in refrigerator door insulation material.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 18 March 2002
	The UK Government's interpretation of Article 1 of EC Regulation 20372000 is that it sets out the scope of the legislation and lists the substances that it controls, as well as making clear that it applies to the production, importation, exportation, placing on the market, use, recovery, recycling and reclamation and destruction of these substances. This includes those used for the blowing of insulating foam for refrigeration equipment and to certain activities relating to products and equipment containing those substances.

Dioxin Formation and Emission

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what guidance is given to operators of waste incinerators on ways of reducing dioxin formation and emission;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the controls on waste incinerators which are intended to reduce dioxin formation and emission.

Michael Meacher: Design and operational techniques for minimisation of dioxin formation and emission at waste incinerators are detailed in the Integrated Pollution Control Waste Incineration Guidance Note S2 5.01 issued by the Environment Agency in 1996.
	Important factors in these techniques include temperature, combustion gas turbulence conditions and the time the waste materials spend in the combustion process.
	The Agency is currently updating this guidance note and I understand that an early consultation draft has been placed on the Agency's website.

Correspondence

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when she will given a substantive answer to the question from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight, ref. 12919, tabled on 6 November, relating to HF Holidays;
	(2)  when a substantive reply will be made (a) to HF Holidays' letters to her of 20 June and 27 July 2001, (b) to the letter to her from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight dated 15 August 2001 and (c) to questions on these letters by the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight tabled on 6 and 23 November 2001; when he will correct the answer to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight dated 17 December 2001, Official Report, column 147W, which referred to a different constituent and a different subject; and if she will make a statement on the cause of her delay in responding.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 5 February 2002
	My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Rural Affairs responded on 26 February to the letters of 20 June and 27 July 2001 from HF Holidays and the hon. Member's letter of 15 August 2001.
	I apologise for the time taken to respond to these letters.

Flooding

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals the Environment Agency has to alleviate flooding in the Ironbridge Gorge.

Elliot Morley: Operational responsibility for flood management measures rests with the local operating authorities, normally the Environment Agency (EA) and local councils, who decide which projects to promote and their timing. I understand that the EA has just completed a pre-feasibility study into 'traditional' flood alleviation options for Ironbridge Gorge but has not identified one that would be economically worthwhile. I understand that the EA is continuing to consider 'innovative' options which may offer some alleviation from the impact of small flooding events.

Flooding

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish the report on flood funding arrangements.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 13 February 2002, Official Report, column 512W.

Flooding

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial assistance is made available by the European Union to assist member states in the provision of coastal and inland flood defences.

Elliot Morley: No significant financial assistance is made available by the European Union to assist member states in the provision of flood and coastal defences.

Flooding

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to secure provision of flood risk cover for residential properties after February 2003.

Elliot Morley: The Government are maintaining close links with the insurance industry to help achieve the mutual aim of ensuring the continued availability of affordable flood cover as widely as possible after the end of the year. Ministers and officials in the Treasury and DEFRA have already held several meetings with the Association of British Insurers and further discussions are planned.
	Together with the flood defence operating authorities, we are reducing the risk of flooding and are communicating this to the insurance industry. We are reducing the risk through substantial increases in investment in flood and coastal defences (which now totals over 400 million a year). Flood defences are being repaired, renewed, maintained and improved. Flood warning arrangements are continually being improved. The Government have issued strengthened guidance to local planning authorities on control of development in flood risk areas, and are reviewing the financial and institutional arrangements under which the flood defence service is delivered.
	We are working with the Environment Agency in helping develop a shared understanding with the insurance industry of the true risks of flooding in particular areas, taking account not only of the indicative flood plain but also the current and future provision of flood defences.

Farming and Food

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funds will be provided for the implementation of the Farming and Food report.

Elliot Morley: We are currently assessing the financial implications of taking forward the Policy Commission's recommendations. Decisions on the funding to be made available to implement the recommendations that fall to Government will, in the main, be made as part of the 2002 Spending Review. It would not be appropriate to prejudge the Spending Review settlement, which is expected in July, but the Department will want to target resources to achieve the best most cost effective outcome.

Farming and Food

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timescale will be for implementing the recommendations of the Farming and Food report.

Elliot Morley: The Commission's report will make a substantial contribution to a new strategy for sustainable food and farming, which we aim to launch in the autumn. We will work with a wide range of stakeholders to determine how best to take forward the Commission's ideas and deliver positive changes on the ground. As responsibility for addressing the Commission's recommendations rests with industry and other organisations as well as Government, we will be looking for their active involvement. Before Easter we will publish a steering document which will inform and guide this and launch the stakeholder engagement process.

Farming and Food

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the interests registered by the (a) chairman and (b) members of the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Foods.

Elliot Morley: Registered interests of the chairman and members of the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food are as listed. They can also be found on the website www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/farming. The list registers interests relevant to the work of the Commission.
	Sir Donald Curry CBE
	Remunerated work and directorships
	Vice-chairman (non-executive), NFU Mutual Insurance Co Ltd.
	Commissioner, Crown Estate
	Chairman (non-executive), North Country Primestock
	Director (non-executive), Scottish Agricultural College
	Director (non-executive), Chitty Food Groups
	Land, property and shareholdings
	Owner, residential properties in Newcastle and Rothbury, Northumberland
	Shareholder, BT
	Shareholder, Friends Provident
	Shareholder, Tyne Grain
	Shareholder, North Country Primestock
	Shareholder, Hexham Auction Market
	Other interests
	Chair (non-executive), At Home in the Community
	Council Member,
	Royal Agricultural Society of England
	Member, National Farmers' Union
	Member, Farmers' Club
	Helen Browning OBE
	Remunerated work and directorships
	Director, Eastbrook Farms Organic Pigs Ltd.
	Director, Eastbrook Farms Organic Meat Ltd.
	Director, Food Ethics Council
	Consultancy, Meat and Livestock Commission
	Consultancy, Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission
	Consultancy, Sustainable Development Commission
	Speaking fees from various organisations principally on organic farming and marketing.
	Land, property and shareholdings
	33 per cent. of Manor Farm, East Grafton, Wiltshire
	Shareholder, Dairy Crest
	Shareholder, Genus Ltd.
	Shareholder, Organic Milk Suppliers' Co-operative
	Shareholder, Friends Provident
	Eligible producer, Residuary Milk Marketing Board.
	Other interests
	Chair, Soil Association
	Chair, Food Ethics Council
	Member, Royal Agricultural Society of England
	Member, Country Land and Business Association
	Member, Tenant Farmers' Association
	Member, Farm and Wildlife Advisory Group
	Member, the Farmers' Club
	Member, Rare Breeds Survival Trust
	Member, Schumacher Society
	Member, Institute of Directors
	Member, National Federation for the Self-Employed.
	Sir Peter Davis
	Remunerated work
	Chief executive, J Sainsbury plc
	Board Director, Union Bank of Switzerland
	Land, property and shareholdings
	(with Lady Davis) properties in Hertfordshire, London and France
	(with Lady Davis) trustees of a family trust that owns a property in North Wales
	Shareholder and share option-holder, J Sainsbury plc.
	Other interests
	Chairman, Business in the Community
	Member and trustee, Trearddur Bay Sailing Club
	Vice president, Marketing Council
	Vice president, Chartered Institute of Marketing
	Fellow, Marketing Society
	Member, Agricultural Forum
	Member, Policy Issues Group, Institute of Grocery Distribution
	Member, Garrick Club
	Iain Ferguson QC
	Remunerated interests
	Senior vice-president, Corporate Development, Unilever plc/NV
	Land, property and shareholdings
	Owner, property in Guildford, Surrey
	Shareholder, BT
	Shareholder, BG
	Shareholder, Lattice
	Shareholder, BAE Systems
	Shareholder, Marconi
	Shareholder, GlaxoSmithKline
	Shareholder, Cable  Wireless
	Shareholder, Lloyds TSB
	Shareholder, ATL plc
	Shareholder, HBOS plc
	Shareholder, Unilever plc
	Shareholder, Unilever NV
	Other interests
	Director, British Nutrition Foundation
	Director, Food and Drink Federation
	Director, Rothamsted Research Station
	Member, the Farmers' Club
	Member, the Caledonian Club
	Deirdre Hutton CBE
	Remunerated work
	Chair, National Consumer Council
	Vice-chair, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
	Non-executive director, Financial Services Authority
	Commissioner, Sustainable Development Commission
	Land, property and shareholdings
	Shares in Sainsburys
	Shares in Tesco
	Shares in Unilever
	Other interests
	Member, Better Regulation Task Force
	DeAnne Julius
	Remunerated work
	Non-executive director, Bank of England
	Non-executive director, Lloyd's TSB (from 1 October 2001)
	Member, National Learning and Skills Council
	Land, property and shareholdings
	Owner, house in Surrey and apartment in Verbier (Switzerland)
	Shareholdings (through mutual funds and directly) in the following companies:
	BTG; British Airways; Shell; Pearson; United Business Media
	Other interests
	Visiting Professor, University of Durham
	Member, Royal Institute of International Affairs
	Member, Institute of Development Studies
	Member, Royal Economic Society
	Member, Advisory Board, Centre for the study of Globalisation and Regionalisation, Warwick University
	Fiona Reynolds CBE
	Remunerated work and directorships
	Director-General, National Trust
	Other interests
	Trustee, Green Alliance
	Trustee, Institute for European Environmental Policy
	Vice-President, Council for National Parks
	Governor, Canterbury Primary School
	Mark Tinsley
	Remunerated work and directorships
	Managing director of P.C. Tinsley Ltd.
	Chairman, Elgro Ltd.
	Chairman, Nene Potatoes Ltd.
	Non-executive director, Greens of Soham Ltd.
	Non-executive director, Freshtime UK Ltd.
	Non-executive director, Winters Lane Storage Ltd.
	Land, property and shareholdings
	Shareholder of P. C. Tinsley Ltd., farming 500ha in Lincolnshire Shareholder of Spearhead International Ltd.
	Shareholder (through P. C. Tinsley Ltd.) in the following companies:
	Elgro Ltd.; Holbeach Marsh Co-operative Ltd.; Nene Potatoes Ltd.; Agricultural Central Trading Ltd.
	Other interests
	Member, Boston Tennis Club
	Member (through P. C. Tinsley Ltd.) of the following organisations:
	LEAF Assured Produce; Assured Combinable Crops; National Farmers' Union
	Political interests
	Member, Conservative party
	Member, Commercial Farmers' Group
	David Varney
	Remunerated work and directorships
	Chairman, mmO 2 plc
	Lattice pension
	Land, property and shareholdings
	Owner, residential property in Bourne End, Bucks.
	Shareholder, Anglo American plc
	Shareholder, Astra Zeneca plc
	Shareholder, Barclays plc
	Shareholder, British Land Company plc
	Shareholder, BOC group
	Shareholder, CGNU plc
	Shareholder, Compass Group plc
	Shareholder, Cable  Wireless plc
	Shareholder, Diageo plc
	Shareholder, Granada Compass plc
	Shareholder, GlaxoSmithKline plc
	Shareholder, Hays plc
	Shareholder, 3I group plc
	Shareholder, Marks  Spencer plc
	Shareholder, Nycomed Amersham plc
	Shareholder, Provident Financial plc
	Shareholder, Royal Bank of Scotland plc
	Shareholder, Railtrack plc
	Shareholder, Tesco plc
	Shareholder, Vodafone plc
	Shareholder, Lattice Group plc
	Shareholder, Shell Transport
	Other interests
	Vice chairman, Council of Surrey University
	Vice president, Oil Industry Club
	Trustee, Bright Red Dot Foundation
	Member, Royal Automobile Club
	Member, Institute of Directors
	Member, Chairman's Club
	Member, Institute of Energy
	Member, Institute of Petroleum
	Member, Institute of Gas Engineers
	Member, Institute of Management
	Member, Institute of Personnel  Development
	Member, Advisory Committee, DEMOS
	Graham Wynne
	Remunerated interests
	Chief Executive, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
	Other interests
	Member, Sustainable Development Commission
	Trustee, BirdLife International.

Cattle and Sheep (Devon)

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will remove the interim measures on the movement and sale of cattle and sheep in Devon.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 15 March 2002
	The Interim rules for livestock movements, which my noble Friend, the Lord Whitty announced on 5 February 2002, allow greater flexibility for farmers to move their animals. However, there is a low but very real risk that there are still hidden pockets of live virus on a few premises or circulating at a low level in a handful of sheep flocks. This could be reactivated if animals are under stress, for example during lambing, so precautionary controls need to be kept in place.
	A copy of the Veterinary Basis for the Interim measures has been placed in the Libraries of the House and is available on the DEFRA website. The measures are expected to remain in operation until November 2002. However, we expect to be able to relax some aspects of the regime during the course of the year if there is no further outbreak.

Sheep Transportation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the maximum time period sheep can be held on board a ship during a live transport is.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 11 March 2002
	Ships used to transport live sheep must comply with Directive 91/628/EEC, as amended, on the protection of animals during transport. The vessel must be fitted to carry livestock, with access to feed and water and meet required space allowances. If these conditions are met the statutory maximum journey times do not apply. There is therefore no maximum time period that sheep may be held on board a ship during transport, provided they are not caused injury or unnecessary suffering. Time spent by a livestock vehicle on a roll-on roll-off ferry counts towards the statutory maximum journey time.

Energy Efficiency

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answers of 26 October 2001, Official Report, column 409W, and 3 December 2001, Official Report, column 97W, on energy efficiency, when she will publish the overall percentage improvements in energy efficiency to 31 March 2001 as reported to her Department by energy conservation authorities in England.

Michael Meacher: I hope to publish this information before the Whitsun recess.

Energy Efficiency

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of households in (a) Birmingham, (b) the west midlands and (c) England which meet the criteria for assistance under the home energy efficiency scheme.

Michael Meacher: At the time of the announcement, it was estimated that some 4 million households in England would be eligible for the new home energy efficiency scheme (HEES)households with children in receipt of an income-related benefit and people receiving a disability benefit. Around 3.7 million households were estimated to be eligible for New HEES Plusfor people aged 60 or over who receive an income-related benefit.
	Data are not available centrally on eligible households in Birmingham and the west midlands.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Theft and Fraud

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non- departmental public bodies in each of the last four years.

Malcolm Wicks: We are taking determined steps to combat internal fraud. We have published an internal fraud policy that sets out staff responsibilities, and appointed a senior accountable officer and a supporting central probity team. There are also security specialists and staff to investigate suspected internal fraud vigorously when it arises. We know that the overwhelming majority of staff are completely honest and trustworthy, and instances of internal fraud are not common, but we remain vigilant. We employ our 100,000 staff so these cases represent a small fraction of our work force.
	The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in the current financial year.
	The available information on the former DSS is in the table.
	
		
			   199798 199899 19992000 200001  
			   Number of cases Loss  Number of cases Loss  Number of cases Loss  Number of cases Loss  
		
		
			 Benefits Agency (28) 918,790.47 112 430,780.04 139 389,874.73 65 44,309.65 
			 Departmental Directorates (28) (29) (29) (29) (29) (29) 11  
			 War Pensions Agency (28) 0  0 1 1,500.00 2 3,583.67 
			 Child Support Agency (28) 57.27 9 417.99 12 8,950.38 6 9,200.00 
			 Contributions Agency (28) 2,572.00 6 1,824.00 (30) (30) (30) (30) 
			 DSS HQ (28) 0  0 1 8,317.00 (31) (31) 
			 IT Services Agency (28) 20,959.00 15 10,942.00 8 8,325.00 (32) (32) 
			  
			 Total for DSS 189 942,378.74 142 443,964.03 161 416,967.11 84 71,112.34 
		
	
	(28) Not available.
	(29) Departmental Directorates were formed in 2000.
	(30) Contributions Agency transferred to the Inland Revenue with effect from 1 April 1999.
	(31) DSS HQ was subsumed into Departmental Directorates in 2000.
	(32) ITSA is now ITSG and no frauds were returned for 200001.
	The available information on the Employment Service, as recorded by the former Department for Education and Employment, is in the table.
	
		
			  Number of cases Loss  
		
		
			 199798 12 97,242.00 
			 199899 36 54,107.01 
			 19992000 16 45,621.83 
			 200001 5 3,023.20

Benefit Systems

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes he proposes to introduce before the introduction of pensioner credit in regulations affecting the assessment of entitlement to housing benefit, council tax benefit and income disregards; and if he will give example calculations of the effect of these changes.

Malcolm Wicks: We are proposing to make a number of changes to housing benefit and council tax benefit as a result of the new pension credit. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Pound) on 7 February 2002, Official Report, column 1124W.

Private Finance Initiative

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total external spend by his Department was on Private Finance Initiative consultants in each of the last four years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PFI consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by his Department over this period; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Brown: The Department does not record information about the use of PFI consultants in the form requested and an answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pensioners

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) men and (b) women have neither paid national insurance contributions nor received credits for pension purposes, in each year since 1979.

Ian McCartney: The available information is set out in the table:
	
		Number of people, of working age, who have neither paid National Insurance contributions nor received credits for pension purposes in each year since 1979United Kingdom -- Thousand
		
			  Men Women Total 
		
		
			 1979 245 6,668 6,913 
			 1980 305 6,466 6,771 
			 1981 351 6,363 6,715 
			 1982 388 6,210 6,598 
			 1983 421 6,058 6,479 
			 1984 468 5,849 6,317 
			 1985 510 5,622 6,133 
			 1986 548 5,418 5,966 
			 1987 626 5,264 5,889 
			 1988 696 5,119 5,815 
			 1989 808 4,981 5,789 
			 1990 926 4,911 5,837 
			 1991 1,028 4,998 6,025 
			 1992 1,125 4,982 6,107 
			 1993 1,213 4,947 6,160 
			 1994 1,288 4,779 6,067 
			 1995 1,390 4,674 6,064 
			 1996 1,652 4,679 6,331 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are taken from a 1 per cent. sample so are subject to rounding error and are rounded to the nearest thousand.
	2. Figures exclude those not registered on NIRS in each year (particularly affecting women in the early years of this analysis and those aged 1821).
	3. In defining credits autocredits, invalid care allowance credits, local office credits, unemployment credits and starting credits have been included.
	4. The numbers of women is thought to have decreased over this period due to the increased involvement of women in the labour market. The numbers of men may have increased because of an increase in the number of older men inactive within the labour market.
	5. Figures are not available after 1996 because of the change in the NIRs systemnational insurance recording system.
	Source:
	Figures are taken from the Lifetime Labour Market Database (LLMDB), extracted from the national insurance recording system (NIRS).

Pensioners

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated weekly income was of (a) a single pensioner and (b) a pensioner couple who are on 60 per cent. of median income in the last year for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is in the table.
	
		Money values of 60 per cent. of median household income threshold for pensioners for the financial year 19992000 (in December 2000 prices) -- 
		
			  Net disposable weekly household income  
			  Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 Single pensioner 104 81 
			 Pensioner couple 171 147 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data set which is derived from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The FRS does not include Northern Ireland. 19992000 is the latest year for which data is available.
	2. The estimates are presented on both a Before Housing Costs (BHC) and an After Housing Costs (AHC) basis in line with HBAI conventions.

Pensioners

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of (a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples are expected to have incomes of less than 60 per cent. of median income for each year between 2002 and 2010.

Maria Eagle: The information is not available.

Pensioners

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of (a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples had incomes of less than 60 per cent. of the median income in the last year for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The information requested can be found in the publication Households Below Average Income 1994/951999/2000, a copy of which is held in the Library.

Pensioners

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the proportion of (a) men and (b) women who will reach state pension age in 2002 with entitlement to a full basic state pension based on their own contributions and if he will provide corresponding estimates for (i) 1992, (ii) 1982 and (iii) 1972.

Ian McCartney: At 31 March 2001, 85.6 per cent. of 65-year-old men in receipt of a state retirement pension were getting a full basic state pension based on their own contribution record. The corresponding figure for 60-year-old women was 22 per cent. We would expect these proportions to remain broadly similar in 2002.
	Historic data are not available in the required format to estimate the corresponding proportions for 1992, 1982 and 1972.

Pensioners

George Mudie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners there are in East Leeds; how many are in receipt of the minimum pension guarantee; and what average amount is paid to pensioners in East Leeds.

Maria Eagle: As at 30 September 2001 there were 14,700 1 retirement pension recipients in the parliamentary constituency of Leeds, East. At November 2001, there were 3,400 2 minimum income guarantee claimants in the parliamentary constituency of Leeds, East. The average amount of minimum income guarantee paid to these claimants is 50.81.
	Source:
	1 Pension Strategy Computer System, 30 September 2001
	2 Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, November 2001

Pensioners

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under what circumstances two (a) married and (b) cohabiting pensioners could separately claim the proposed pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: Two married pensioners will be able to receive pension credit separately if they are no longer living together as husband and wife. In practice, if one or both are living permanently in a residential care or nursing home they will be able to receive pension credit separately.
	Two single pensioners will only be treated as a couple if they are living together as husband and wife. In these circumstances they will be treated in the same way as a married couple.

State Pension

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to review the state pension system.

Maria Eagle: We have consulted extensively on both the state and private pension systems since we launched our pensions review in 1997. Our proposals for reform were set out in the Green Paper Partnership in Pensions published in December 1998 and this was followed by further consultations on specific issues, including our proposals for the new pension credit.
	Our pensions strategy is to combat poverty among today's pensioners, and to help future pensioners build up a good second pension to ensure a decent income in retirement.

State Pension

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) male and (b) female UK residents experienced a reduction in basic state pension on reaching retirement age on account of insufficient contributions in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 13 March 2002
	The information is not available in the format requested.
	Recently retired pensioners receiving less than full basic pension in Great BritainSeptember 2001.
	Males38,300
	Females120,600
	Notes:
	1. The figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. All data from 5 per cent. samples are subject to sampling error.
	3. Recently retired have been taken as men aged 65 and women aged 60.
	4. Category A pensions only have been used for this analysis.
	Source
	5 per cent. sample from the pension strategy computer system at 30 September 2001.

Stakeholder Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer) of 4 March 2000, Official Report, columns 2223W, on stakeholder pensions, what plans he has to ensure the remaining 20 per cent. of employers who have not complied with the requirement to offer a stakeholder scheme, do so.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 8 March 2002
	5,090 employers were recorded as designating a stakeholder scheme in January. The latest available figures show that up to the end of January 2002 a total of 316,811 employers had designated a stakeholder pension scheme for their workforces. This is over 85 per cent. of the number estimated to be obliged to do so.
	The regulation of compliance with the stakeholder pension scheme workplace access requirement is a matter for the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (Opra).
	Opra will take proactive action to identify non- compliant employers later in the year having given employers a reasonable time to become familiar with their new responsibilities.

Benefits

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are in receipt of (a) disability living allowance, (b) attendance allowance and (c) incapacity benefit in (i) Gloucestershire and (ii) the Stroud constituency.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
	Numbers of disability living allowance, attendance allowance and incapacity benefit recipients at 31 May 2001.
	
		
			 Number of people in receipt of: Gloucestersh ire Stroud Constituency 
		
		
			 Disability living allowance 14,500 2,100 
			 Attendance allowance 12,800 2,400 
			 Incapacity benefit 8,600 1,400 
		
	
	Note:
	Incapacity benefit figures do not include credits only cases where benefit is not in payment.
	Source:
	ASD information centre: 5 per cent. data. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.

Benefits

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants for incapacity benefit appealed against the determination of their claim in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what percentage of the appeals were successful (a) in whole and (b) in part.

Maria Eagle: It is not possible to split the number of appeals into those which are wholly or partially successful. The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Caseload (000) Appeals lodged Cleared at hearing Found in favour Percentage found in favour 
		
		
			 1 January 199931 December 19999 2,275.3 60,505 68,130 27,605 40.5 
			 1 January 200031 December 2000 2,286.2 51,320 41,445 16,740 40.4 
			 1 January 200130 November 2001 2,337.8 46,485 31,900 13,330 41.8 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures for 1 January 200130 November 2001 are provisional.
	Figures were only available until 30 November 2001.
	All figures are subject to changes as more up to date data becomes available.
	Lodged and found in favour figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	IB figures are taken from a 5 per cent. sample and exclude a small number of cases held clerically.
	IB caseload figures are expressed as 1,000s are rounded to the nearest 100.
	Source:
	100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System
	Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance Quarterly Summary Statistics, August 2001.

Benefits

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 8 January 2000, to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison), Official Report, column 681W, on the Do Not Redirect scheme, how many local authorities have implemented the Royal Mail Do Not Redirect scheme; and what the Government's definition is of unsatisfactory take-up.

Malcolm Wicks: 367 of the 409 local authorities administering housing benefit use the official Do Not Redirect scheme representing 90 per cent. of the total. Some other authorities have established similar schemes locally with Royal Mail. We are keen to see all authorities using Do Not Redirect and both the Department and the benefits fraud inspectorate will continue to encourage the remaining authorities to do so.

Benefits

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans the Government have to initiate reform of the housing benefit system, with particular reference to the single room payment.

Malcolm Wicks: We have a strategy for reforming housing benefit (HB) and dealing with the legacy of neglect we have inherited.
	To help promote work incentives, we have broadened the definition of the single room rent from 2 July 2001 to reflect better the type of accommodation available in the market to young single people. Our aim is both to ease the problems faced by young people in getting and maintaining accommodation, and encourage landlords to rent to young adults.

Benefits Agency (Fraud and Error)

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much expenditure has been lost through fraud and error in each of the Benefits Agency's 13 area directorates and 118 districts that handle income support claims in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not available.

Invalid Care Allowance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to review a person's loss of invalid care allowance when they become of pensionable age.

Maria Eagle: Invalid care allowance and retirement pension are both benefits intended to maintain income. Rules exist to prevent the duplicate payment of more than one benefit intended for the same basic purpose. Where a person already entitled to invalid care allowance reaches pension age and becomes entitled to retirement pension, the payment of retirement pension, a contributory benefit, takes precedence and either extinguishes or reduces the payment of invalid care allowance. Underlying entitlement to ICA is retained, which provides low income carers with access to the carer premium paid with the minimum income guarantee.
	Invalid care allowance has always been subject to these rules. We have no plans at present to change this. However, in light of the National Carers Strategy, the Government have introduced a draft order proposing to remove the ICA age restriction, thus allowing carers aged 65 and over access to ICA and therefore the carer premium. The proposal will provide the opportunity for low income carers in this group to boost their income on top of the minimum income guarantee.

Benefits Offices (Security)

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has had on the issue of security at the new Jobcentre Plus offices.

Nick Brown: holding answer 12 March 2002
	Health and safety arrangements in the new offices have been the subject of over 60 hours of discussions between officials and the Public and Commercial Services Union. Members of the public and staff have also written to Ministers and officials in the Department to express their views.

Benefits Offices (Security)

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Benefits Agency offices have experienced the most incidents of violence in the UK in the last three years.

Nick Brown: holding answer 12 March 2002
	Data are not held centrally broken down by individual office and the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Benefits Offices (Security)

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) deaths, (b) serious injuries and (c) recorded incidence of verbal abuse there have been in the Jobcentre Plus pilot projects.

Nick Brown: holding answer 12 March 2002
	There have been no deaths or serious injuries in the Jobcentre Plus pathfinder offices since their launch. Since the launch of the first Pathfinder offices in October 2001 there have been four incidents involving actual but minor physical contact, six incidents involving attempted physical contact, and 198 incidents of verbal abuse. During that period it is estimated that around a million people have visited the pathfinder offices.

Recruit

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of leavers from the employment option of the New Deal in the pilot areas for Recruit found jobs (a) following the introduction of Recruit and (b) in each of the two years prior to the introduction of Recruit.

Nick Brown: The main objective of the pilots is to help small businesses use the Employment Option, and changes in the proportion of leavers into jobs will be influenced by a range of factors, not just Recruit.
	A full evaluation of the pilot, will begin in April, and will provide a better picture of the impact of Recruit on employers and New Deal clients in the pilot areas. The pilot started in 19 areas in April 2001 and will continue until June 2002. Up to the end of December 2001, Recruit had helped 1,667 clients into work.
	The information requested on the initiative is in the table.
	
		
			   Proportion of New Deal employment option clients leaving to known destinations who entered jobs (Percentage) 
		
		
			 April 1999March 2000 71 
			 April 2000March 2001 69 
			 April 2001December 2001 69 
		
	
	Source:
	New Deal Evaluation Database
	In addition, we know from research that over 50 per cent. of those leaving New Deal for unknown destinations take up work.

Advertising

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the expenditure was per campaign for the five most expensive media advertising campaigns his Department undertook in the past five parliamentary Sessions including the current parliamentary Session in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland; and for the last two parliamentary Sessions and the current Session, when each advertising campaign (i) began and (ii) ended in (A) Scotland, (B) England, (C) Wales and (D) Northern Ireland;
	(2)  what the cost was of media advertising in each of the past five parliamentary Sessions including the current Session, for his Department in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland; and for the last two parliamentary Sessions and the current parliamentary Session, what the media advertising expenditure was per month in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland.

Nick Brown: The information is not held in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Development

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how often the Department has applied the special urgency provisions in paragraph 22 of Circular 18/84 (Development by Government Departments) to a development by the department; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Darling: According to available records the special urgency provisions in paragraph 22 of Circular 18/84 (Development by Government Departments) have never been invoked by this department.

House of Lords' Judgment

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action he (a) has taken and (b) intends to take following the judgment in the case of Chief Adjudication Officer (Respondent) v. Stafford and another (Banks) (Appellant) given in the House of Lords on 29 June 2001.

Malcolm Wicks: We have been considering carefully the terms of the judgment, which confirmed that term-time workers are not eligible for Jobseeker's Allowance. A change in the law to extend eligibility to term-time workers would not necessarily be appropriate, given that Jobseeker's Allowance is intended to support those who are out of work and looking for a job rather than those in employment. We shall nevertheless continue to consider this matter, in the light of the judgment and other possible means of support.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many part-time employment agency workers registered for jobseeker's allowance in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many employment agency clients claim jobseeker's allowance for part of the working week in (a) Motherwell and Whishaw, (b) Lanarkshire, (c) Scotland and (d) the United Kingdom;
	(3)  what the average time taken is to process a new claim for jobseeker's allowance from part-time employment agency clients.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows. The national average time taken to clear a new claim to jobseeker's allowance (JSA), as at January 2002, is 9.7 days. The national target is to clear JSA claims within 12 days.

Winter Fuel Payment

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people (a) received and (b) were eligible to receive the winter fuel payment in (i) 1999, (ii) 2000 and (iii) 2001 broken down by (A) gender and (B) constituency.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 28 February 2002
	Information is available only on the number of people who received winter fuel payments. Details of the number of recipients in winters 19992000 and 200001, broken down by sex and constituency, have been placed in the Library. Numbers relating to this winter are not yet available.
	The figures for 19992000 exclude men aged 6064 (and a small number of others) who became eligible for winter fuel payments from 200001 onwards. These people are entitled to claim retrospectively for previous years and the majority have already done so. Unfortunately it is not possible to relate these claims to specific years.

Jobcentre Plus

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the Jobcentre Plus offices which (a) have and (b) have not closed circuit television in operation.

Nick Brown: The information requested is as listed. Whether an office has CCTV depends on whether this was recommended in the risk assessment for that office.
	Pathfinder offices with CCTV
	Aberdeen Ebury House
	Aberdeen Chapel street
	Birmingham Ravenshurst
	Birmingham south-west
	Blackburn
	Blackburn Cardwell place
	Bridgend Crown Buildings
	Bridgend Market street
	Brighouse Owler Ings road
	Chelmsford
	Chelmsford Gemini centre
	Derby 15 The Wardwick
	Derby Beckett street
	Derby 229231 Normanton road
	Derby Forester House
	Gateshead Shildon House
	Greenock
	Halifax
	Halifax Dean Clough
	Halifax Horton street
	Harlesden 161 High street
	Hoylake Town Hall Chambers
	Huddersfield Crown House
	Huddersfield Castle House
	Kilburn Coventry close
	Livingston Almondvale South
	Madeley Church street
	Maesteg Commercial street
	Neasden
	Openshaw Cornwall street
	Port Glasgow
	Porthcawl Dock street
	Rayleigh 10 London Hill
	Southend Dencora Court
	Streatham
	Telford New Town House
	Telford, Telford House
	Todmorden Adelaide street
	Wallasey
	Wellington 67 New street
	Wembley 8 St. Johns road
	Winchester
	Pathfinders offices without CCTV
	Aberdeen Greyfriars
	Axminster Chard street
	Birmingham Northfield
	Birtley Pinetree centre
	Blaydon St. Cuthberts way
	Darwen Green street
	Exmouth 46 Rolle street
	Felling 37 High street
	Gateshead
	Honiton 128 High street
	Openshaw
	Pyle Ffald road
	Sidmouth 12 Mill street
	Tiverton Coggans Well House.
	Risk assessments have been carried out for each of the new Jobcentre Plus offices. Following consultation with the local union health and safety representatives, all of the recommendations of each risk assessment have been implemented in full.

Carers

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of carers allowance have lost it on reaching pensionable age in each year since 1997; and what assistance he gives to pensioner carers.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of cases where payment of invalid care allowance has ceased to customers who have attained pensionable age is as follows:
	
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 1997 6,070 
			 1998 6,143 
			 To 30 September 1999(33) 4,877 
		
	
	(33) The figures are not available for periods after September 1999 due to a change in recording statistics.
	Proposals are before the Parliamentary Deregulation Committees, which, if accepted, will allow carers, aged 65 or over to claim invalid care allowance for the first time. This will allow some carers to receive invalid care allowance and many more to have access to the carer premium, payable with the minimum income guarantee, which is currently worth 24.40 a week.

Accommodation Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of hotel accommodation for departmental staff working away from home in each of the last four years.

Maria Eagle: The following table gives the expenditure on directly booked hotel rooms and bed and breakfast for former DSS and Employment Service staff.
	Figures prior to 19992000 are not available.
	
		
			 Year Total () 
		
		
			 19992000 6,896,155 
			 200001 6,433,135 
			 200102(34) 8,276,366 
		
	
	(34) Up to and including February 2002

Gender Pay Gap

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the extent of the gender pay gap among staff in his Department.

Malcolm Wicks: The former Department of Social Security and the Employment Services agreed in 2001 to undertake equal pay reviews to determine whether our current pay policies directly or indirectly discriminate against any groups of employees and provide risks in relation to equal pay.
	Draft reports have recently been produced, which we are currently reviewing with trade unions.
	Early key findings indicate that pay policies highlight the importance of equality and there is no evidence of discrimination because of gender.

Minimum Income Guarantee

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Telford are in receipt of the minimum income guarantee.

Malcolm Wicks: As at November 2001, there were 2,300 minimum income guarantee claimants in the parliamentary constituency of Telford.
	Source:
	Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry November 2001

Minimum Income Guarantee

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of pensioners eligible to receive the minimum income guarantee; how many pensioners are in receipt of the minimum income guarantee; and what is the average amount received in Warrington, South.

Malcolm Wicks: Estimates of the number of people eligible for the minimum income guarantee are not available below national level. As at November 2001 there were 2,800 minimum income guarantee claimants in parliamentary constituency of Warrington, South, receiving an average weekly amount of 51.65.

Minimum Income Guarantee

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners he estimates are claiming the minimum income guarantee in each parliamentary constituency in Dorset.

Maria Eagle: Holding answer 8 March 2002
	The information is provided in the table.
	
		
			 Constituency November 2001 
		
		
			 Christchurch 2,300 
			 Mid-Dorset and North Poole 1,400 
			 North Dorset 1,600 
			 Poole 2,600 
			 South Dorset 2,300 
			 West Dorset 2,300 
		
	
	Source:
	Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiries November 2001

Departmental Employees

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees there were in his Department at (a) 1 June 1997, (b) 31 December 1998, (c) 31 December 1999, (d) 31 December 2000 and (e) 31 December 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 12 March 2002
	The Department for Work and Pensions is a new Department therefore figures have been supplied from Employment Services and DSS legacy systems. Information is readily available for the last four years, data prior to this could be supplied only at disproportional cost.
	
		
			 Staff employed Date 
		
		
			 139,820 31 December 1998 
			 131,539 31 December 1999 
			 130,799 31 December 2000 
			 134,489 31 December 2001

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appointments to public bodies have been made through his Department (a) from April 2000 to March 2001 and (b) since 31 March 2001; and how many of these were (i) men and (ii) women.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 12 March 2002
	The number of men and women appointed, or re-appointed, by Ministers in this Department to bodies sponsored by this Department during the periods in question is as follows:
	
		
			 Period Men Women 
		
		
			 1 April 200031 March 2001 7 10 
			 1 April 200128 February 2002 17 13 
		
	
	Note:
	Appointment and re-appointments to the Appeals Service are not included as these are the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor.

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 23 January 2002, Official Report, columns 85152W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against his Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by his Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department does not hold centrally information regarding criminal proceedings, or any follow-up actions, which have been undertaken in cases of theft against the Department. Any incident of break-in is always referred to the police for investigation. Some information may be recorded locally, on a case by case basis, but meaningful retrieval would be impractical within timeframes and costs.
	The Department takes its responsibilities with regard to theft and fraud very seriously and has put in place a wide range of security measures to deter and detect such events.
	One of these measures is teams of internal investigators who investigate cases of suspected internal theft and fraud when they do arise.
	The investigations result in a wide range of disciplinary outcomes including referral for criminal proceedings.
	During a four year period from 1 May 1997 to 31 March 2001 the Department have referred 52 cases of internal fraud for consideration of criminal proceedings. Of these 52, 50 cases were successfully brought to prosecution. Although the theft of official equipment is taken very seriously, there are no records during this period of cases of internal theft of official equipment where prosecution was deemed appropriate.
	However within the current Treasury year 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002, there has been one successful investigation for theft of official equipment. Following referral for consideration of formal criminal proceedings, the outcome was successful in achieving a conviction. The offender being found guilty and a sentence of 60 hours community service imposed and a compensation order of 250.

Disability Living Allowance

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled adults have been affected by (a) the rules under which disability living allowance is withdrawn after a person has been in hospital for four weeks and (b) the cumulative effect of short periods of hospitalisation in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested.

Carers

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many carers have had invalid care allowance removed as result of the adult for whom they care having (a) their disability living allowance removed and (b) having their attendance allowance removed, as a consequence of hospitalisation in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many parents caring for a disabled child had invalid care allowance terminated following their child's stay in hospital for longer than the rules allow for payment of disability living allowance in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is not available.

Pensioners (Hospital Care)

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have been affected by (a) the rules under which attendance allowance is withdrawn after a person has been in hospital for four weeks and (b) the cumulative effect of short stays in hospital in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested.

Pensions

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what mechanisms he proposes to prevent companies from winding up, closing down and fundamentally changing pension schemes without the approval of members;
	(2)  if he will amend the accounting rules and minimum funding requirement for company pension schemes with a view to preventing unilateral changes;
	(3)  if he will examine incentives and initiatives which might be introduced to support the continuation of final salary schemes;
	(4)  if he will introduce legislation to create an obligation on companies to consult fund members and their unions about proposed changes in pension arrangements and to provide full financial information.

Malcolm Wicks: Occupational pension schemes are provided voluntarily by employers, and they are therefore free to decide whether to continue to provide such pensions in the future. The legislation that is in place is to ensure that the pension rights that individuals have already built up in schemes are protected.
	Accounting rules are the responsibility of the Accounting Standards Board which is independent of Government. The Government have already announced proposals to replace the minimum funding requirement (MFR) with a long-term scheme specific funding standard in the context of a regime of transparency and disclosure, with additional measures to strengthen security. This will be taken forward as soon as parliamentary time is available. Meanwhile the Government announced a package of changes on 26 February to improve the way the MFR operates in the period leading up to its replacement, and increase protection for pension scheme members where an employer decides to wind a scheme up voluntarily.
	We have asked Alan Pickering and Ron Sandler, in two separate studies to review the regulation and operation of the pensions, and the wider market of savings products, including final salary schemes. Alan Pickering will report, with recommendations for reform, in June and Ron Sandler will also report around that time.
	The Government will then set out its proposals, which will build on the reforms put in place since 1998, and on which it will consult, to simplify the regulatory system, to look at how the Government and employers encourage and support pension savings, and to make sure that the most appropriate incentives for savings in retirement are in place.
	We have already announced last month an interim package of measures to improve the way the minimum funding requirement works, which will reduce compliance costs for employers with defined benefit pension schemes.

HEALTH

Mental Health

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has collated on the relative mental health status of young (a) men and (b) women.

Jacqui Smith: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for compiling, analysing and disseminating information relating to United Kingdom economic, social and demographic statistics. Their report Psychiatric morbidity among adults living in private households, 2000 is available on the website at www.statistics.gov.uk. The report contains valuable information about the prevalence of mental disorders among young adults over the age of 16 in private households. Guidelines are attached to the PQ reference guide.

Cancer Awareness

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to increase cancer awareness in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton), on 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 125W.

Relatives and Residents Association

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will list the organisations undertaking functions similar to those provided by the Relatives and Residents Association which are supported by his Department;
	(2)  for what reason his Department has not granted further funding to the Relatives and Residents Association.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 27 February 2002
	Of the organisations that take a particular interest in the care of older people in residential care or nursing homes, three were successful in bidding for funding through the 200102 round of the Department's section 64 General Scheme of Grants. They are Action on Elder Abuse, Counsel and Care and Help the Aged.
	The Department has not refused the Relatives and Residents Association further section 64 funding for 200203 as applications from the association are currently being considered.
	Since 199697, the association has received over 500,000 of section 64 funding. The association's application for section 64 funding in 200102 was unsuccessful principally because of competition from other high quality applications.

Care Standards Act

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what protection residents of care homes will have against rises in charges following the implementation of the Care Standards Act 2000.

Jacqui Smith: Publicly funded residents' resources will continue to be assessed under the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1992. These regulations are unaffected by the Care Standards Act. Differences between residents' assessed contributions and the fees set by homes should be met by the council.
	In addition on 11 March, I announced a package of measures to stop some care home providers taking advantage of the Government's national health service funded nursing care initiative to artificially raise fees for residents. Amendments to the care home regulations will be made, subject to consultation, to oblige homes to provide a breakdown of their fees. This will make it clear to residents which aspect of their fees relate to nursing care and which to residential care. A central core contract has been issued that NHS bodies should use as a basis for spelling out how any nursing contribution received by a care home is accounted for by them. I have also asked the National Care Standards Commission that standard two of the national minimum standards for care homes for older people should be enforced. The standard states that any contribution to fees by the NHS or a local authority is recorded separately from other contributions from the service user, a relative or other third party.

Bed Blocking

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will place a copy of the delayed discharge figures for Q3 200102 in the Library;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2002, Official Report, column 549, to the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Ruffley), regarding bed blocking, if he will place in the Library the figures referred to for each trust and health authority.

Jacqui Smith: All the available information on delayed discharge in December 2001 has been placed in the Library. This covers:
	(a) the number and proportion of patients of all ages occupying an acute hospital bed whose discharge was delayed;
	(b) the number and proportion of patients aged 75 and over occupying an acute hospital bed whose discharge was delayed;
	(c) the main reasons for delay and the numbers and proportion of patients of all ages who are delayed for each of the reasons;
	(d) the numbers and proportions of patients who have been delayed (i) one to eight days, (ii) eight to 14 days, (iii) 14 to 28 days (iv) over 28 days.
	Each set of figures is provided on a national, regional and health authority basis.
	No other information (or breakdown of information) is collected centrally on delayed discharges.

Hospital Discharges

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) of 27 February 2002, Official Report, column 1418W, on hospital discharges, if he will provide information on the same basis for the Isle of Wight.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 14 March 2002
	The information provided in my previous answer of 27 February was provided on the basis of health authority, including Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South-East Hampshire health authority. No other breakdown of information is available centrally.

Breast Cancer Screening

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage take-up is of breast cancer screening among the relevant population in the Redbridge and Waltham Forest area; how this compares to the national average; what activities and extra resources are being allocated to increase take-up; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Breast cancer screening services are provided by Epping Primary Care Trust for Redbridge and Whipps Cross hospital for Waltham Forest. The national target for women accepting their invitations for screening is 70 per cent. In 200001 nationally, 75.3 per cent. of women aged 50 to 64 invited for screening were screened. The figure for Epping was 70.5 per cent. The figure for Whipps Cross hospital was 66.7 per cent. Both figures for Epping and Whipps Cross hospital are higher than the regional average of 62.4 per cent.
	Whipps Cross hospital recognises that health education remains a high priority. The service regularly visits general practitioners' practices to promote screening and has given talks to women's groups in the community. Epping PCT is considering an advertising campaign among younger Asian women to encourage older family members to be screened.

Social Services

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to the judgment in the case of R v. London borough of Lambeth ex parte A EWCA Civ 1624; and what assessment he has made of the effects of the judgment on (a) families with children who are being supported by social services departments and (b) children being cared for by social services departments.

Jacqui Smith: Since the issue was first brought to the attention of the Department a considerable amount of work has been undertaken to assess the nature of the impact of the judgment in A v. London borough of Lambeth and the best way to respond to it. Consideration of these issues has taken place across Government and in consultation with key stakeholders.
	The decision of the Court of Appeal in the recent case of A v. London borough of Lambeth, which considered the provision of accommodation under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, casts doubt upon the ability of councils with social services responsibilities to provide accommodation to children in need and their families. This judgment does not affect local authorities' powers to provide other services under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 that they deem appropriate in order to meet a child's needs, for example day care, nor does it have any impact on children being looked after by local authorities.
	It is, and has long been, our policy that councils with social services responsibilities should have the power to provide accommodation under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 where they feel that this is the appropriate way to meet the child's needs and where no other support is available. We therefore wish to restore the position so that this important safety net is available for all families. I announced on 17 January 2002 during the special standing committee on the Adoption and Children Bill that we intend to introduce amendments to the Children Act 1989 by way of the Adoption and Children Bill to make clear that accommodation may be provided by councils with social services responsibilities under section 17. In the meantime, another recent case (J v. London borough of Enfield) has made clear that local authorities are able to provide assistance, including assistance towards the securing of accommodation, to children and their families utilising the powers contained within section 2 of the Local Government Act 2000.

European Union Directives

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the European Union directives and regulations relating to his Department that have been implemented in each of the last four years, specifying (a) the title and purpose of each, (b) the cost to public funds of each and (c) the cost to businesses of each.

Yvette Cooper: The information on the European Union directives and regulations relating to this Department and any costs to public funds of these regulations is not held centrally and can be assembled only at disproportionate cost. The Department has however produced regulatory impact assessments (RIAs) for proposals, including those originating in European legislation, likely to impose significant costs to business, charities or voluntary organisations. Copies of these have been placed in the House Libraries.

Myeloid Leukaemia

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on trials for the drug Glivec for chronic myeloid leukaemia being conducted in the UK; how many patients are included in the trials; what the total cost of the trials will be; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Medical Research Council (MRC) is not currently funding any studies using Glivec.
	However, the STI571 Prospective International Randomised Trial (SPIRIT) for newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukaemiawhich proposed using Glivecis under consideration, and a decision is expected from the MRC by July at the latest. Figures for numbers of patients and total cost have not been finalised. It is important to note that all clinical trial applications made to the MRC are considered in open competition for funding with all other calls on MRC resources.
	Novartis, the pharmaceutical company which manufactures Glivec, have conducted pre and post licensing trials of Glivec for chronic myeloid leukaemia.

Homeopathic Treatment

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his policy is towards funding homeopathic treatment in all parts of England; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received about the withdrawal of funding by health authorities for homeopathic treatment; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Government are committed to a patient centred NHS where those in the front line in providing NHS services have maximum flexibility to develop those services in a way which is responsive to local health needs. The NHS must also take into account the needs and wishes of patients.
	Complementary and alternative medicine treatments, such as homeopathy, can feature within NHS servicesand this is a matter for local decision. Our Complementary Medicine Information Pack for Primary Care Groups stated that the best evidence for the effectiveness of homeopathy was in treating illnesses with an allergic component.
	I do from time-to-time receive representations from individuals and organisations about the role of complementary and alternative medicine within the NHS. I am not aware of any recent representations specifically about the withdrawal of homeopathy.

Car Passenger Deaths (Children)

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many child car passengers from social class (a) five and (b) one have been killed in car accidents in each of the last five years; and in how many of these accidents speed was a contributory factor.

Yvette Cooper: The social class of child car passengers killed in car accidents is not routinely recorded, nor is the specific causation.
	The 1997 ONS publication Health Inequalities: Decennial Supplement states that:
	Childhood injury death rates by social class have been compared for years around the 1981 and 1991 Censuses. Death rates from injury and poisoning fell between the two periods for children in each social class, although the differential between the social classes had increased. The decline in rates for children in Social Classes IV and V (21 per cent. and 2 per cent. respectively), was smaller than those for children in Social Classes I and II (32 per cent. and 37 per cent.). Motor vehicle accidents accounted for half of all childhood injury deaths and showed a similar social class gradient to that for all accidental deaths in childhood.
	The number of child car occupant fatalities is as follows:
	
		
			  Deaths 
		
		
			 1996 79 
			 1997 74 
			 1998 64 
			 1999 71 
			 2000 49

NHS Recruitment Special Envoy

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what countries the Government's Special Envoy for the national health service will visit in his recruitment drive; and what his budget is.

John Hutton: We are working with Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub to plan a programme of international visits.
	There is 3 million to support the International Fellowship Scheme over the next year.

International Recruitment

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend the ethical foreign nurse recruitment code of practice to the recruitment of overseas (a) medical practitioners and (b) professionals allied to medicine; and if he will list those (i) covered and (ii) not covered.

John Hutton: The purpose of the code of practice is to promote high standards in the recruitment and employment of all health care professionals from abroad.
	Recruitment of internationally qualified medical staff and other health care professionals have specific sections within the code of practice.

MMR Vaccine

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the system for the reporting of adverse side effects of the MMR vaccine.

Yvette Cooper: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 24 May 2000, Official Report, columns 50708W.

Digital Hearing Aids

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects NHS trusts in Gloucestershire to provide digital hearing aids; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 5 March 2002
	The Modernising NHS hearing aid services project is evaluating leading edge digital hearing aids for NHS patients, coupled with an evaluation of associated service delivery changes. Digital hearing aids require different service delivery models as they incorporate IT based assessment and fitting procedures. 10.75 million has been made available to 20 pilot sites across the country in 200001 and 200102. On 24 December 2001 we announced funding of 20 million would be available for 200203. This will enable the 20 pilot sites to continue to participate in the project and will enable at least a further 30 new sites to join the project and be fitting digital hearing aids by the end of March 2003. The Gloucestershire Health Community has submitted an expression of interest in participating in the project. A decision on the bid will be made shortly.

Digital Hearing Aids

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts (a) are and (b) are not providing digital hearing aids; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 5 March 2002
	At least 48 national health service trusts are providing digital hearing aids under the bulk purchase contract arranged by Purchasing and Supply Agency. This includes the 20 sites in the first wave of the Modernising Hearing Aid Services' pilot project. The number of trusts accessing the bulk contract is increasing as more sites attain the infrastructure needed. Around 100 sites are providing only analogue aids.

Folic Acid

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the Food Standards Agency is expected to complete its consideration of the legal, technical and health implications of fortification of flour with folic acid and make its recommendation to Government;
	(2)  when he will announce his policy on the fortification of flour with folic acid.

Yvette Cooper: The Food Standards Agency (FSA), together with Health departments, is hosting a stakeholder meeting on the issue of fortification of flour with folic acid on 18 March 2002. The aim of this meeting is to ensure that, all relevant information and points of view are taken into account.
	I understand that following the stakeholder meeting, the FSA board plans to consider the issue at its open meeting on 9 May 2002. Health Ministers will, thereafter, consider the way forward on the issue taking the agency's advice into account.

Folic Acid

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the recommended dose is of folate for women to reduce the risk of spina bifida pregnancy.

Yvette Cooper: The Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy issued advice on the prevention of neural tube defects (the most common of which is spina bifida) in 1992.
	Women who are trying to conceive or who are likely to become pregnant, are advised to take a daily 400 g supplement of folic acid until the 12th week of pregnancy. In addition, all women who may become pregnant are advised to increase their daily intake of folic acid by eating more folate-rich foods and foods fortified with folic acidespecially breads and breakfast cereals.
	To prevent the recurrence of a neural tube defect, folic acid supplements are a daily dose of 5 milligrams (5000 g) are advised and this can be reduce to 4mg, if this dose becomes available.

Folic Acid

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the evidence relating to the effect flour fortification with folic acid has on rates of (a) homocysteine levels, (b) stroke, (c) stroke mortality, (d) heart attacks and (e) colon cancer.

Yvette Cooper: The Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) report on folic acid and the prevention of disease (2000) noted that fortification of flour with folic acid might result in a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD, especially strokes and heart attacks).
	In otherwise healthy people, an increased blood level of homocysteine is associated with increased risk of CVD. Studies have shown that low intakes of folate are an important cause of increased homocysteine level in the general population and increasing folate intake can reduce homocysteine level. However, whether there is a causal relationship between folic acid intake and cardiovascular disease still requires confirmation. There are on-going randomised controlled trials assessing the impact of lowering homocysteine levels (by increasing folic acid intake) on incidence of heart disease.
	In 1998, the COMA report on the nutritional aspects of cancer concluded that there was insufficient evidence for any specific links between folate intake and the development of cancer.

Vitamin B12

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral statement of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 395, when and in what form the research on the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency and its diagnosis among adults over 65 years of age will be published.

Yvette Cooper: A common concern expressed in the Department of Health/Food Standards Agency consultation on folic acid was the potential risks for older people. It was therefore necessary to have more information on the potential risks before proceeding with any course of action. This included:
	an estimation of the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in older people aged 65 and above;
	the appropriate methodology for the diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency;
	the feasibility of routine identification of vitamin B12 deficiency in older people.
	This research was undertaken by Professor Grimley Evans and colleagues at the university of Oxford. The research was completed in August 2001. The results of the research are to be published in a peer-reviewed journal later this year.

Vitamin B12

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the benefits for disease prevention if vitamin B12 is added to folic acid in flour fortification.

Yvette Cooper: The Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) recommendation (2000) on the fortification of flour with folic acid aimed to minimise the number of people having intakes of folic acid which may mask vitamin B12 deficiency.
	The committee did consider combined fortification of flour with B12 and folic acid. It would be necessary to fortify foods with very large amounts of vitamin B12 to allow for the low absorption in people with pernicious anaemia, which is the chief cause of severe B12 deficiency.
	COMA stated that
	At present there is inadequate information on the amount of vitamin B12 that would be required to prevent deficiency in the population, especially those with pernicious anaemia. Although there is no formal evidence of toxicity from vitamin B12, any exposure of the whole population to levels many times their usual intake or requirements should be considered with particular caution. Therefore, this option was not recommended.

Human Rights Act

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what monitoring of compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998 in (a) residential care homes and (b) nursing homes his Department has undertaken in the last three years; and what resources have been made available for this.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 6 March 2002
	The Human Rights Act 1998 came into force on 2 October 2000. The Act did not create new rights, but enabled the European Convention on Human Rights to be enforced in United Kingdom courts. Best practice in residential and nursing home care should be fully compatible with the convention.
	Until 31 March 2002, local councils and health authorities respectively are responsible for registering and inspecting residential care and nursing homes under the provisions of the Registered Homes Act 1984. The Social Services Inspectorate carries out performance monitoring of local council inspection units. Local Authority Circular LAC(2000)17 expects local councils to ensure that procedures and practices comply with the Human Rights Act.
	From 1 April 2002, the National Care Standards Commission will be responsible for registration and inspection of residential care homes and nursing homes, under the Care Standards Act 2000, taking account of national minimum standards, which are fully compatible with the Human Rights Act.

Cervical Screening

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the uptake among Asian women in Luton has been of cervical screening in each quarter since 1998.

Yvette Cooper: Figures for uptake of cervical screening are not collected by ethnic group.
	Luton primary care trust and Luton health action zone are working with the community to increase the level of uptake in the difficult to reach Asian women groups.

Union Duties

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to answer the question of 13 February from the hon. Member for Buckingham regarding staff involvement in union duties.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Health (Ms Blears) gave on Wednesday 27 February 2002, Official Report, column 1405W.

Helicopter Ambulances

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether ambulance trusts can be reimbursed by charity for the cost of staff who serve on helicopter ambulances.

Hazel Blears: Holding answer 7 March 2002
	From April 2002, the NHS will meet the cost of approximately 150,000 for equipping each air ambulance helicopter with a paramedic crew. The staff who crew these aircraft are responding on behalf of NHS ambulance trusts to emergency patients who would otherwise be conveyed by land ambulances.

National Care Standards

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what flexibility he has introduced into the national care standards to meet the needs of care homes with small rooms and their residents and those which support drug and alcohol dependency.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 7 March 2002
	Existing homes, including local authority homes, will have until 2007 to comply with some of the more challenging environmental space standards. We decided that the requirement for existing single rooms to have a minimum of 10 square metres of usable floor space should be postponed until April 2007. In addition, the standards include flexibility to allow some rooms down to 9.3 square metres to remain in use after 2007, provided additional compensatory facilities are made available.
	We have listened to concerns from the drug and alcohol sector and have amended the standards for care homes for younger adults to meet those concerns.
	The draft standards said that new homes should accommodate up to 16 people in groups of up to eight. The final standards raise the limits to 20 and 10, and allow homes that accommodate people for less than six months further flexibility.
	The draft standards said that there should be one WC for each two people and one bathroom for three people, in both cases adjacent to bedrooms. The ratio has been changed to 1:3 for both WCs and bathrooms, and existing homes have been given two more years (until 2004) to reach the standard. The standards say that facilities should be near bedrooms.
	The draft standards said that all service users should be offered a single room. Existing shared accommodation is to be phased out by 2004, unless people choose to share. New provision would be built with single rooms. The standards now recognise the concept of a clinical need for sharing in the substance misuse sector. In existing homes, up to four people may continue to share a room where there is a clinical need, and in new premises, rooms can be shared by two. The standards also recognise that two people may choose to share a room.
	We have also issued statutory guidance to the National Care Standards Commission, which says the commission should consider whether care homes can fulfil the needs to service users without making environmental changes to meet the standards. The guidance particularly covers issues of room size, lifts, baths and shared rooms.

National Care Standards

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the national care standards take account of the desire of married couples to share rooms.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 7 March 2000
	Standard 23 of the standards for care homes for older people allows residents who wish to share a room to do so. Standard 23.10 states that in new build, extensions and all first time registrations, service users wishing to share accommodation should be offered two single rooms for use, for example, as bedroom and sitting room.
	In the standards for care homes for younger adults, standard 25.8 recognises that two people may choose to share a room.

National Care Standards

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the accuracy of the estimate by the regulatory impact assessment of the cost of implementing national care standards.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 7 March 2002
	Ministers at the Department have received only one representation as to the accuracy of the regulatory impact assessment for the implementation of the regulations and national minimum standards for care homes.

National Care Standards

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the basis is for the assessed capital cost of changes in the physical environment for younger adults contained in annexe A of the national care standards full regulatory impact assessment.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 7 March 2002
	The basis for the assessment of the capital cost for changes in the physical environment for younger adults final regulatory impact assessment for care homes was the same as that used for the estimated costs during consultation. A survey undertaken by the Department in 1999 indicated that only 13 per cent. of care homes in this sector would have difficulty in meeting the 10 sq.m. room requirements. It also showed that 7 per cent. of homes had more than 20 per cent. of places as shared places. As a result of the flexibilities introduced in relation to overall room sizes and additional flexibilities for homes dealing with drug and alcohol rehabilitation we estimated that between no more than 10 to 15 per cent. of homes in this sector would be significantly affected.

National Care Standards

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential and nursing care provisions he estimates meet the national care standards; how many have programmes to upgrade their homes to meet the standards; and what proportion each represents of all care homes.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 7 March 2002
	Following analysis from responses to the original consultation on the national minimum standards for care homes, Fit for The Future? the Department estimated that 50 per cent. of local authority and 20 to 25 per cent. of independent care homes for older people would have difficulty meeting the standards as proposed at that time. Subsequently the standards were amended and flexibilities introduced in relation to space standards.
	For care homes for younger adults a departmental survey estimated that 13 per cent. of homes would have difficulty meeting the room size standards. The additional flexibilities introduced following consultation on the standards for both sectors has, in the view of the Department, significantly reduced the number of providers likely to have difficulty meeting the standards.
	The National Care Standards Commission will not have a comprehensive picture of how many care homes meet the standards, how many producers have established programmes to upgrade their homes and what proportion this represents of all care homes, until it completes the first round of inspections of all homes after 1 April 2002.

National Care Standards

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent the cost to local authorities of purchasing places at care homes complying with the national care standards is met by the local government financial settlement for 200203.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 7 March 2002
	The local government finance settlement for 200203 takes full account of the cost to local authorities of purchasing places at care homes complying with the National Care Standards Commission's requirements.

National Care Standards

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which representative organisations constituted the reference group referred to in paragraph 12.1 of the national care standards full regulatory impact assessment.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 7 March 2002
	The following organisations were members of the reference group for the development of national minimum standards for care homes for younger adults.
	Alcohol Concern
	Association for Residential Care
	British Council of Disabled People
	CHANGE
	Drugscope
	Independent Healthcare Association
	Leonard Cheshire
	Local Government Association
	Mental After Care Association
	National Association of Adult Placement Services
	National Association of Inspection and Registration Officers
	National Autistic Society
	National Centre for Independent Living
	National Institute for Social Work
	National Heads of Registration and Inspection
	NHS Confederation
	Norwood Ravenswood
	NSF Registered Homes
	Oxfordshire county council
	People First
	Portland College
	Richmond Fellowship
	Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation
	Royal College of Nursing
	Royal College of Psychiatry
	Royal National Institute for Deaf People
	SENSE
	Turning Point
	Voluntary Organisations Disability Group.

National Care Standards

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis he concluded that the estimated cost of changes to the environment for a home providing places for 28 residents to comply with the national care standards would be significantly lower than that estimated by the full regulatory impact assessment.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 7 March 2002
	The information provided by the provider at paragraph 9 of annexe A of the full regulatory impact assessment was a general statement from that provider. That estimate was not disaggregated into its constituent parts and it was impossible to reach a conclusion as to its accuracy. On that basis the Department concluded that the estimate of overall compliance cost based on survey evidence was a more reasonable estimate.

National Care Standards

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason his regulatory impact assessment for national care standards does not cite as a benefit of option 1 the saving of money which under option 2 would have to be spent on alterations of homes to meet new standards.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 7 March 2002
	The regulatory impact assessment for regulations and national minimum standards for care homes does not cite option 1 as a money saving option for good reason. In the first instance keeping the status quo does not mean that there are no additional costs incurred. If the system of regulation is left as of now with local authorities and health authorities regulating providers locally this would lead to increased subsidies for the cost of regulation included in the funding to these authorities. Those who responded to the White Paper Modernising Social Services were unanimous that regulatory costs should be borne by both providers and commissioners of services and that the new National Care Standards Commission should be funded through full cost recovery.
	Finally, option 1 would do nothing to improve the standards of care and accommodation afforded to service users.

National Care Standards

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to monitor the responses to the national care standards and to amend the regulations.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 7 March 2002
	The national minimum standards will be continuously monitored. We propose to review them within the first three years of operation, and in the light of the review consider any changes needed.

Nursing and Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care homes have presented their statement of purpose to the National Care Standards Commission as set out in Statutory Instrument 3969; how many are expected to do so by 1 April 2002; what methods he is using to publicise the statements of purpose; how many should already have presented their statements of purpose to the National Care Standards Commission; and what steps he will take if a care home has failed to produce the statement of purpose by the required date.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 8 March 2002
	Care homes that were previously exempt from regulation under the Registered Homes Act 1984, such as local authority provision and homes set up by Royal Charter are required under transitional arrangements to make an application for registration by 31 March 2002 (SI.3852(C. 125)). They are required to provide a statement of purpose to the National Care Standards Commission with the application for registration (SI. 3969). Because applications do not have to be with the Commission until 31 March it is not possible to estimate how many will be received by that date. The Commission is now starting to receive applications but does not expect to receive the bulk of these until the last week in March.
	Currently, registered care homes will be required to comply with regulation 4 of the Care Homes Regulations 2001 (SI 2001 No. 3965) which requires a statement of purpose to be compiled. The National Care Standards Commission will establish, as part of the first inspection of care homes, that they have prepared a statement of purpose. If regulation 4 is not complied with on inspection, the Commission will agree action and a timescale with the provider for compliance to be achieved. If compliance is not achieved at the end of this period the Commission will take enforcement action.
	Information on the number of care homes failing to do so will be provided by the Commission to the Department of Health as part of the Commission's general reporting on care homes' compliance with the regulations and national minimum standards. The Department has no plans to publicise statements of purpose but providers must make these publicly available.

Nursing and Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the regulatory impact assessment for care homes for younger adults; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 8 March 2002
	The Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Care Homes Regulations and National Minimum Standards for Older People and for Younger Adults were placed in the Library on 21 January 2002. We will be placing the regulatory impact assessment for care homes and for other service areas on the Department's National Care Standards Commission website shortly.

Nursing and Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 945W, on nursing care, what plans he has to compensate those self-funding residents who have not had their free nursing care assessment money passed on to them by the care home in the form of a reduced fee;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 945W, on nursing care, what (a) evidence and (b) representations he has received that care homes are failing to pass on payment for free nursing care to self-funding residents;
	(3)  pursuant to his answer of 27 February, ref. 26579, on nursing care, if the Government plans to (a) pay compensation and (b) pay interest to those people whose banding of nursing had not been completed by the end of December 2001.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 8 March 2002
	I have received correspondence on this subject from many people who are distressed about the way that nursing home owners are taking account of the Registered Nursing Care Contribution (RNCC) when revising their fee levels. I have written to some national providers of care homes about this and shall be meeting them shortly to discuss this matter further. Meanwhile, a core contract between the national health service and nursing homes developed by the Department has been sent to the Service. This clarifies the relationship between the parties and makes clear the relationship between the two and how the RNCC should be accounted for.
	The national health service is funding care from a registered nurse, which is being provided by the nursing home and payments are made in respect of individuals' care to the home for that care with effect from 1 October 2001 or from whenever they entered the nursing home. There is therefore no question of compensation or payments to individuals.

Nursing and Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 27 February, refs. 26582 and 26638, on nursing homes, what exceptions would entail residents receiving funding under the scheme of the country other than that in which the nursing home is situated.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 8 March 2002
	A protocol to manage this is currently being developed by officials in the Department of Health and in the Welsh Assembly. This will set out the responsibilities for funding care and, if there are to be any exceptions to people receiving funding under the scheme of the country other than that in which the nursing home is situated, will spell out the circumstances.

Nursing and Care Homes

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what investigations he undertakes into charges made by nursing homes, with particular reference to amounts paid by those who are (a) in receipt of state funded places and (b) privately financed; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 12 March 2002
	The Department has funded research by the Personal Social Services Research Unit into the closure of care homes for older people. The research looked at the impact of pricing policies. A report on the results of the research will be placed in the Library.
	Where a nursing home placement is supported by a local council, the contribution paid by the resident is determined by the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1992.
	I announced on 11 March that we will be amending the care home regulations to oblige homes to provide a breakdown of their fees. This will make it clear which aspects of the fees relate to nursing care and which to residential care.

Nursing and Care Homes

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 27 February 2002, Official Report, column 1400W, on care homes, whether the regulatory impact assessment was a final document.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 14 March 2002
	The full Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Care Homes Regulations and National Minimum Standards for Older People and for Younger Adults, which was placed in the Library on 21 January 2002, was the final version.

Transplants

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients died last year while on the waiting list for (a) heart, (b) heart and lung, (c) lung and (d) liver transplants; how many people are awaiting (i) kidney transplant, (ii) heart transplant, (iii) heart and lung transplant, (iv) lung transplant and (v) liver transplant; and how many organ transplants were carried out last year.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 14 March 2002
	The number of patients dying while on the United Kingdom organ transplant waiting list in 2001 are as follows:
	
		
			 Organ Number dying 
		
		
			 (a) Heart 26 
			 (b) Heart and lung 30 
			 (c) Lung 35 
			 (d) Liver 60 
		
	
	The number of patients active on the United Kingdom organ transplant waiting list at the end of 2001 are as follows.
	
		
			 Organ  Number waiting 
		
		
			 (i) Kidney 4,934 
			 (ii) Heart 105 
			 (iii) Heart and lung 72 
			 (iv) Lung 241 
			 (v) Liver 158 
		
	
	There were 2,717 solid organ transplants carried out in the UK in 2001. This figure includes all solid organs, including kidney and living donor transplants.

Transplants

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients died while waiting for an organ transplant in the last five years for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 14 March 2002
	The figures for patients dying while on the United Kingdom organ transplant waiting list in the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1997 207 
			 1998 217 
			 1999 227 
			 2000 189 
			 2001 151 
		
	
	The figures for patients dying on the kidney waiting list (not necessarily from kidney failure) are only available from 2000 and the figures are as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2000 288 
			 2001 230 
		
	
	The figures are not available broken down by local authority. A table of the figures broken down by region is as follows:
	
		
			 Region Number Percentage of population 
		
		
			 Northern and Yorkshire 835,870 13.4 
			 Trent 637,321 12.4 
			 Eastern 806,534 15.3 
			 London 910,432 12.9 
			 South-east 1,401,383 16.4 
			 South-west 916,436 18.7 
			 West Midlands 641,611 12.1 
			 North-west 920,939 13.9 
			 Channel Isles and Isle of Man 5,225 2.5 
			 England 7,088,436 14.3 
			 Wales 474,722 16.3 
			 Scotland 908,269 17.8 
			 Northern Ireland 151,793 9.1 
			 Not available 394,004  
			  
			 Total 9,022,479 15.3

Emergency Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the emergency readmission figures for Q1 200102, broken down by (a) region and (b) health authority.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 15 March 2002
	Only information on readmissions for those aged 75 and over is collected centrally on a quarterly basis.
	Information relating to Quarter 1, 200102 has been placed in the Library.

Cystic Fibrosis

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of suffers of cystic fibrosis have pancreatic insufficiency.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 15 March 2002
	About 90 per cent. of individuals with cystic fibrosis develop pancreatic insufficiency. Dealing with this condition is a normal part of the management of cystic fibrosis patients.

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what periodic reviews of the number of outstanding parliamentary questions are carried out by his Department; and how often they are undertaken.

Yvette Cooper: These issues will be addressed in the report of the current investigation referred to in the reply I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood of 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W, on parliamentary questions, of those outstanding questions due for reply before 14 February, how many questions have been answered by the target date of 12 March; and of those not answered by the announced date, what estimates he will make for the full reply to all outstanding questions;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer, of 11 March, ref 41778, on parliamentary questions, if he will list (a) the tabling hon. Members, (b) the question reference numbers, (c) the date of tabling and (d) the date the questions were falsely recorded as answered.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health (Mr. Milburn) gave to the right hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Mr. Forth) on 13 March 2002.
	The information about individual questions incorrectly recorded as answered will be placed in the Library as soon as the disciplinary investigation is complete.

Care Funding

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 12 March, ref. 28289, if he will publish the methodology used to derive the 200203 allocation as indicated in the document entitled Improving Social Services for Older People; what the rates of delayed discharge were in the 55 highest by council area and the next 45 by council area in summer 2001; and if he will publish the methodology used to derive the amounts awarded to councils in the Building Care Capacity Grant 200203.

Jacqui Smith: The methodology and information used has been placed in the Library.